Harry Potter Witch
by Silverfawkes
Summary: AU started as Parody of the turn Harry into girl Wizengamot gets stupid. Wrote itself in another direction. first chapt is general fiction no pairing after that is pure romance HP/OC Rating for some language.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

A/N: I'm serious about a rabid plot bunny, or is it I'm Sirius...Anyway this started as a bit of a parody of the old turn Harry into a girl and force her to marry...But then Ike popped out of the woodwork and the story started writing itself in another direction...I hate it when stories do that... Anyway this most definitely a Romance and completely disregards JKR's pathetic attempt to tie up loose ends.

Harry Potter , Witch

Harry looked around the crowded room really wishing he had the gumption to tell the magical world it could take its Order of Merlin and go hang itself. He didn't defeat Voldemort for a bloody award. He defeated him so he could live; if one could call his present existence of being hounded by the press living. At least he wasn't up here alone. Ron, Hermione, and Neville were up here too. Kingsley picked up Neville's Order of Merlin second class and hung it around Neville's neck. Harry clapped and whistled for his friend. Then the little ceremony was repeated for Ron and Hermione with their Orders of Merlin First Class. Finally it was being repeated for him, Harry wasn't sure if he really wanted the responsibility that came with getting the award, there was a Wizengamot seat attached to getting it. He already had the one he had inherited from his godfather.

Harry's plans at the moment were pretty simple: help rebuild Hogwarts until term started, go back finish his final year, then make decisions about what to do with his life. He'd planned to be an auror, but the months of the horcrux hunt had him debating the whole chasing down dark wizards for the rest of his life thing. He looked forward to being back at Hogwarts with Ginny and hopefully having a normal school experience now that Tom was gone. He had discussed with both McGonagall and Andromeda Tonks what the plan was regarding Teddy. Harry was being given alternate quarters where there were three bedrooms one for Andromeda, one for Teddy, and one for himself instead of staying in the Gryffindor dorms. Harry just hoped Ginny was fine with that plan too, because he didn't want her angry over the fact he planned to do his duty by his godson. When it came down to it Harry knew he would chose Teddy over Ginny because Teddy needed him more.

Harry straightened from where he had leaned slightly forward for Kingsley to hang the medallion from his neck on its ribbon. He tried to ignore the cheers the crowd was giving, wishing more than anything that he was somewhere else. He was looking forward even less to the press conference that would take place in an hour out in the atrium. He shuffled himself to the side of the large ballroom on level twenty of the Ministry where he was joined by the Weasleys and Hermione.

"I'm so proud of all of you." Molly said wiping tears from her eyes.

Ginny looked hopefully at Harry. "Could we dance?"

Harry didn't really want to but after everything that had happened over the last year he also didn't feel like he could refuse her. "Sure." He guided her onto the dance floor trying to stay aware of where his feet were so he wouldn't step on her toes. He started to notice a strange tingle on his neck where the ribbon holding his medallion was rubbing. A few seconds later he noticed a strange buzzing in his ears and he suddenly felt too hot despite the cooling charm on his dress robes. "Do you hear that, Ginny?" He paused in their dancing, then it suddenly felt as if the world was yanked sideways and the room around him went dark.

The first thing Harry noticed was the smell. It was a smell he associated with the Hogwarts infirmary. He blearily opened his eyes. Not the Hogwarts infirmary apparently, which meant it was probably St. Mungo's. There was a strange weight on his chest and he felt incredibly odd. It took him a minute but he gathered his strength and pushed himself into a seated position.

A startled "OH my goodness!" came from the attendant.

Harry's arms felt like limp spaghetti. "Where are my glasses?"

"Miss Potter."

Harry stuck a finger in his ear he must be hearing things. He thought the attendant called him miss.

The attendant handed him his glasses. "I'll get the healer in charge in here."

"Great. Thanks." He looked around he'd been in this ward before. He was near the doors, but three of the occupants of this ward he recognized, Frank and Alice Longbottom and heaven help him Gilderoy Lockhart. He wondered how long he'd been in the hospital that he was in this ward and he wondered what the hell had happened. He looked down to take stock and vowed in that second to throttle George. Pranking a hospital patient was just uncalled for.

Half an hour later he wasn't smiling. Harry was moved from the long term care ward to a private room. His apparent sex change was not a prank by George as he had thought. Rather it was the result of an almost unexplainable reaction to an assassination attempt. The assassin had successfully killed both of his best friends and the Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Apparently the ribbons on the Order of Merlin first classes had been soaked in a contact poison that had killed his friends and made him into a woman. Thankfully Neville had been spared, as only those who were given an Order of Merlin first class and the Minister had been poisoned. The killer had turned out to be the daughter of a death eater who had successfully fooled the auror in charge of security at the ministry into thinking she didn't follow Tom when in reality she did.

The healer in charge of his case had done a comprehensive health history via spell when he had been brought in and had had QUESTIONS, and not just for Harry.

Apparently Poppy Pomfrey had faced a board of inquiry from her peers. To determine if she had just been completely incompetent by not getting a medical history all those times she treated him in the Hogwarts infirmary or just breaking the law at the aegis of Dumbledore She'd had to answer questions as to why she hadn't reported him as a suspected case of child abuse his first year and every subsequent year thereafter. . Not to mention how could she treat him as often as she did and not report Albus to the authorities for endangering students. In the end she had gotten a two year suspension and she was no longer be allowed to work unsupervised, due to her laxity of judgement in the matter.

The questions for Harry centered mostly around the malnutrition resulting from the Dursleys neglect, the basilisk poisoning and subsequent introduction of Phoenix tears to his body back in second year and the hormone imbalances brought on first by the stresses of being Tom's horcrux and the sudden removal of said horcrux, not to mention the sheer number of times he had exhausted his magical core, and not mentioning the two AKs he'd taken in his life.

After a grueling two hours of answering uncomfortable questions, Harry managed to get the healer to state that Harry's transformation into a woman was most likely permanent. The process had taken most of five months and they hadn't even realized until the second month that it was happening. The healer speculated Harry's change stemmed from a one of a kind and completely unpredictable interaction between the poison the assassin used, his own abnormal body chemistry brought on by all he'd been through, and his absurdly strong magic attempting to save him, judging from how depleted his core was. The healer knew of no magic that would change him back, and he also expressed his doubts that Harry would ever have a strong core ever again, just because of the sheer amount of magic that had been involved. The healer finally left and Molly and Ginny were allowed in for ten minutes.

Molly fussed for several minutes and Harry found himself watching Ginny. She apparently already knew that Harry was unlikely to change back to a man and her expression implied that she had already moved on. From them he found out that it had been almost six months since the poisoning. Amos Diggory was the Minister of Magic and Arthur had been promoted. They were very grateful that Harry survived and Molly had made noises that when Harry was released that she should come back to the Burrow and become a second daughter. Harry loved the Weasleys and loved the Burrow but something about the way Molly phrased it gave him the willies. Not to mention, he wondered would the Burrow feel like home without Ron and Hermione there? After another battery of tests by Healers the now exhausted Harry was finally allowed to sleep.

When he next awoke Andromeda and Teddy were there. Harry had been astounded by how much Teddy had grown . Instead of the baby who had just started to sit up. Teddy was crawling and getting into everything in sight. Andromeda asked the question running through Harry's own mind. "So what happens now?"

"I've got no clue, as far as I'm concerned nothing has to change. I'll still look after Teddy and you're still welcome to live with me."

"Okay."

Harry felt sorry for Andromeda. She had once been a beautiful woman. The bones for her beauty were still there. The strength she must have had as a girl to stand up to the rest of the Blacks and marry Ted Tonks was considerable. But events of recent years had aged her beyond what would be normal for a witch, although she was only sixty she could have passed for a hundred.

"What about Hogwarts? It's already almost Christmas and the healers aren't willing to release you until the first of January."

"I don't know. I'll send a message to McGonagall, she'll let us know."

"The goblins have been agitating to see you since the Prophet printed that against all expectations you woke up. I've been contemplating suing the hospital on your behalf because the press have managed to get a hold of some details that should've stayed private."

Harry cringed. He wasn't surprised the goblins wanted to see him, not after the break in. But that didn't mean, he was looking forward to it. He had successfully avoided them by staying at Hogwarts following the final battle until that night at the ministry, and he'd always hated dealing with the press. But now he was basically cornered and wasn't going anywhere. "I guess I should just get it over with. Find out when I can have visitors next week and schedule a meeting with the goblins."

"Harry, why are the goblins so keen on talking to you?"

"Well, I kinda had to break into a Gringotts vault and, well, I had to steal something from Bellatrix's vault."

"You broke into Gringotts and stole something."

"Yeah."

Andromeda blinked at him owlishly.

"And we- I kinda caused a lot of damage as I escaped."

"Oh."

Fortunately Teddy at that moment decided he was hungry so Andromeda left before much else was said. After her visit Harry finally managed to get his first look at his new body. He was relieved to see his lighting bolt scar had mostly faded leaving only a faint white line He looked at his face the once sharp lines had softened making him look a bit like the American actress Marisa Tomei with slightly stronger cheek and jaw bones, darker hair and green eyes. His scars from the Basilisk, and Tom's revival hadn't faded but they wouldn't show under clothes. His hated scar from Umbridge was as vivid as ever; he covered it with a glamour.

Harry turned brilliant red as he did what he regarded as the next phase. He stripped then looked in the mirror at his new body. It wasn't a bad body, slender, enough up top to balance the bottom. At the moment it lacked a little muscle tone but he'd been unconscious for almost six months. Objectively speaking his body as a girl was pretty enough that he didn't think he would ever feel quite as hideous he'd sometimes felt as a small scrawny male. But since he'd never been the kind of guy that ogled girls looking at himself in the mirror had him blushing darker than Ron at his most embarrassed. That thought had him stepping into the shower hurriedly so the tears he couldn't repress wouldn't be quite so noticeable. He couldn't believe that he would never see Ron or Hermione ever again.

He felt even more embarrassed when thirty minutes later the Healer came in and gave him a calming draught and steered him back to bed.

Over the next week Harry became aware that there was a problem between Molly and Andromeda, but had no clue what it was.

Andromeda had subtly given Harry an inventory of life skills, as well as quizzing her on her knowledge of both the wizarding world and the muggle world. What she found out appalled her. It rapidly became apparent to Andromeda that save a few housekeeping skills drilled into her by her aunt, little to no effort had been made to teach Harry anything to prepare her for life after school, or how to deal with her fame or fortune.

Had Albus Dumbledore still been alive she would not have rested until the man was in Azkaban. She had thought Skeeter's expose on the man was bad, but Skeeter obviously had only scratched the surface. If anything it seemed as if Harry had been deliberately kept in the dark. As it was, Andromeda wanted to sneak into Hogwarts over the summer and pee on the old bastard's tomb for the way he'd treated Harry.

Andromeda grew up a Black and in that family money management was taught from the cradle the idea that someone of Harry's wealth was so ignorant of it was nearly inconceivable. When she'd said as much to Harry she'd gotten this response.

Harry had grimaced, "Yeah, well it wouldn't do for Dumbledore's puppet to be too educated. It might give him dangerous ideas like that maybe his life was his own."

That comment had set off a ton of warning bells. Those were not the only ones. Harry had the reluctance to sleep that was common in coma victims, but when she did sleep it was punctuated by nightmares. She had frequent crying jags that she tried to hide by taking showers. Gentle questioning by Andromeda revealed mental and emotional trauma enough to put a person in therapy for years, but mental care in the wizarding world was iffy at best. The magical worlds idea of mental health care being drink a potion, cast a cheering charm or obliviate the memory, heaven forbid actually dealing with the problem. The closest the magical world came was occlumency training and even that didn't really deal with the problem. Andromeda found herself in the position of acting as a psychologist for Harry. Thankfully she had some idea of what she was doing.

Ted's mum, Beatrice, had been a psychologist and she had seen how messed up Andromeda had been because of her family when she and Ted had first gotten married. Beatrice had counseled Andromeda for a couple of years. It had sparked a life long interest in psychology for Andromeda. It wasn't, however, something that she could practice in the magical world. Instead she used it to read people and figure out their motives. It was one of the things that had made Andromeda a very successful wizarding solicitor.

What Andromeda couldn't understand, and the reason she distrusted Molly Weasely, was the woman must have had her head fairly far up the Headmaster's arse not to realize what was being done or more specifically not done with Harry. Which really made Andromeda question the Weasley's motives. Had they been after his money and social position to revive their families position?

Unbeknownst to Harry, Andromeda had paid a call to the Weasley's.

"Andromeda, I haven't had the chance to pass on my condolences for Nymphadora and Remus, and Ted. I would have done it sooner by we always seemed to miss each other at St. Mungo's while checking on Harry. "

"Thank you, Molly. I likewise would like to express my sadness for you regarding your boys. Has George recovered at all from the loss of his twin? "

"Some. He has started dating his old girlfriend again. Angelina is good for him."

"That's good. I'm actually here about Harry."

"I figured as much. How is she adjusting?"

"She's overwhelmed and grieving. I appreciate that you've taken the time to visit her."

"Yes, well, she's almost like one of our own. We tried to get Albus Dumbledore to let us take him. Especially after Ginny's first year, but he always refused. I didn't like those muggle relatives of his."

"Yet you did nothing?"

"Well, we couldn't. The Headmaster made sure we got scholarships so all the children could go to Hogwarts, and Arthur got his position at the Ministry with Albus Dumbledore's help. We owed that man so much, you see. Arthur and I both could have been expelled despite his being Headboy because I got pregnant with Bill while still at school. Albus kept it quiet and referred Arthur to the Ministry and Arthur got in between being Headboy and Albus' recommendation."

"How's your daughter doing?"

"She's doing well enough. She was so disappointed by what happened with Harry."

"Harry misses her."

"Yes, well, it's not exactly like things can be the same between them now is it? Ginny has moved on and sadly Harry will just have to do the same. I'm hoping that Harry will choose to come here when they release her. It will be such fun to have another daughter , I'll get to teacher her all the things she needs to know to make a house a home."

"But what about what Harry wants?"

"It's not like Harry can continue House of Potter now. Bill heard at the bank that Harry's going to be banned. For her children to be allowed into Gringotts they can't be Potters. Besides what wizard worth his salt would take the name of his wife?"

Andromeda couldn't say much to that, because it was mostly true. Overall the wizarding world was very misogynistic when it came to the Family name. It wasn't true of all families but enough were that the Potter name lost a lot when its heir became an heiress, and if Molly was right about the goblins banning Harry at Gringotts it was going to get worse. Andromeda sternly told herself that she would protect Harry and see to it that Harry's choices weren't taken away just because of the changes.

"I want Harry to stay with Teddy and I. I think it would be better for her."

Molly looked affronted at the suggestion. "We'll just let her decide for herself."

It was Saturday a week and a half later when the goblins came. Harry decided to take it as an honor that Ragnok himself came. He was however less than pleased to see Ragnok was followed by Draco Malfoy.

Part of him felt pity for Malfoy but the guy was still a prejudiced git that aroused feelings of hatred and suspicion in Harry so he wasn't pleased. The goblins brought with them two chests. Harry nervous, as most of the goblins were looking at him with hatred and suspicion, swallowed hard.

"Harry Potter, former Lord of the House of Black, it is the decision of the Goblin Nation that you have forfeited the right to the protections of the goblins. You and the Potters for eight generations are forbidden from darkening the doors of Gringotts."

"But-"

"Face it, scarhead, you aren't the darling boy of the whole wizarding world, in fact with the goblins you're persona non grata. Heh-heh you're not even a boy anymore! Hold on you'll love what is coming next." Malfoy chortled.

Ragnok shot a scowl at Malfoy.

Harry thought 'ungrateful git I keep him and his mum out of Azkaban and he gloats, typical arsehole'.

"Harry Potter you are no longer the Lord of the House of Black, by the family strictures the House must be ruled by a male of Black Lineage. Your godfather was able to name you his heir because of your grandmother was a Black, but with the recent events that shifted you from male to female, and given you are without male issue, you are no longer Lord Black. It reverts to the next male of Black blood which would be Mr. Malfoy here. A suitable dowery has been added to the Potter coffers to reflect who you were, but the rest reverts to Lord Black."

Malfoy burst out laughing.

The goblins ignored his levity and pulled out some parchments that they had Malfoy sign. He grinned ear to ear and chuckled intermittently as he did so without reading them. That was until Ragnok dropped his next bombshell on Malfoy.

"Lord Black the smaller of the two chests is now yours. It is the sum of the Black monetary wealth."

It was Harry's turn to laugh as Malfoy got a very indignant look on his face.

"But the Blacks are the wealthiest family!"

"That was the case fifty years ago, but the Black wealth has been depleted by the previous Lords. Lady Walburga Black and her son Regulus donated heavily to the Dark Lord Voldemort's coffers depleting the majority of the non-entailed wealth. Alphard Black left his money, which was the bulk of the Black's reputed fortune to his nephew Sirius rather than the family. Most of that wealth was spent by Sirius Black funding Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, he also made sizable bequests to Remus Lupin, Andromeda Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks and gifts to his godson, Harry Potter. The remainder of that wealth was taken from Harry Potter, then Lord Black, because of his theft from Gringotts and has paid the reparations owed the Goblin Nation for those actions." If a goblin could be said to be smirking Ragnok clearly was. "Enjoy your 21,596 Galleons, 15 sickles and 25 Knuts. Take comfort in the entailed Black properties, perhaps if you work hard enough they will provide you with profit."

Draco's mouth opened and closed like a fish a few times then he turned and screamed at Harry. "This is all your fault, Potter!"

"Stop being such a drama queen. In truth I think most of the blame can be laid at the feet of Voldemort, after all if your family hadn't followed him you would still have your family wealth. If Bellatrix wouldn't have stored the cup in her vault for him I wouldn't have had to break into Gringotts to steal it and the goblins wouldn't have demanded reparations. This way you have enough to pay for an Potions apprenticeship at least. Was that all?" Harry asked the goblins.

"That concerns Lord Black." Ragnok said to the goblins that had come with him. "I wish to speak to this _hargash _alone."

After the others had left chivying Malfoy out with them, Harry addressed Ragnok. "Would it make any difference if I said I'm sorry, but it was necessary?"

"To the Goblin Nation, no. To me, yes. I'd already read the account you had given the ministry and I understand the why you did what you did, necessities of war. But goblins were killed, a dragon was lost and extensive damage was done to the bank. Had it been anyone else the Goblin nation would have demanded and probably gotten the head of the thief. I asked my people to accept the minimum penalty possible set out by our laws and the treaties we have with the wizards, because you are a hero to more than just wizards. I know what it was you stole and I know to whom it belonged. He was a blight on us all, by ridding us of him you provided a service for us all. Unfortunately not all my brethren see this, and justice must be served. I knew when the change of your sex was announced in the Daily Prophet the title would pass to that miserable, weak, pathetic excuse for a wizard and to reduce the damage he could do I took the funds from the Black coffers rather than the Potter and dated them back to the time just after the Dark Lord's fall.

"The second chest has been magically expanded several times. Your old trust vault key will open it. In it is the total of your wealth and the stored goods that escaped the looting of your family home after Riddle's first defeat. I took the liberty of converting three quarters of the money to muggle currency at the going rate it is one third actual cash two thirds cashiers check. In the chest are also six other small trunks the smallest of which contains a standard set of Black dowery jewelry as is provided to every Black daughter, diamonds, didicawl pearls, oyster pearls in four shades, gold, platinum, silver, three additional precious gemstones and seven semiprecious stones in a locked jewelry casket. I chose the stones for you: your birthstone, rubies, emeralds for your eyes, and sapphires. The semiprecious are amber, amethyst, hematite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, onyx, and rose quartz, a stone reputed for mental and emotional healing. There is also a chest which holds household goods dishes, crystal, silver etcetera. The value of the jewelry and dowery goods plus the twenty thousand galleons of actual dower money is roughly quadruple that of the chest Lord Black got, but then he didn't bother to read the contract about that did he?" Ragnok was smirking again. "The remaining chests hold the goods from the Potter family vaults."

Then his eyes grew serious once more. "I need you to sign a contract stating that you understand all of this."

Harry nodded, and he made a point to carefully read the contract Ragnok presented him with. The contract itself was simple and straightforward. He was forbidden from entering the bank, and he could not contract for their services as warders or financial managers. From the time he signed it would be as if he and the Potter descendants didn't exist for the goblin nation for eight generations. If he needed money converted from muggle to magical or vice versa he would have to go through an intermediary like Bill Weasley. Ragnok stopped him when he was about to sign it and pulled a thick packet of parchments out from his own pouch. It was an exhausting four hours that followed but Ragnok taught him a lot about his financial matters and about the Potter family in that time.

He found out that the Potter's had enjoyed Ancient family status and as he'd surmised they were descendants of the third Peverell brother, but they were not noble, nor did they have a Wizengamot seat. They had been extremely canny with money and were historically one of only ten families that did not rely on the goblins. When he learned the total amount of what he'd inherited from his parents he'd been stunned because it matched what he knew of the old Malfoy fortune. He learned that in addition to what his parents had left him many people had left him things after the first time he had vanquished Tom. Dumbledore had taken control after his parents died and aside from a reasonable stipend he'd supplied to the Dursley's he hadn't wanted to be bothered managing Harry's wealth so he'd ordered the goblins to sell all properties, stocks, and goods that couldn't be stored in the vaults and deposited the proceeds to the Potter main vault. This annoyed Harry because he would have liked to seen the properties and possibly kept shares in the various businesses. All this left Harry very wealthy in terms of gold but did little to have his money work for him. It also had eliminated heirlooms and other things that would have helped him to feel connected to his family.

Ragnok informed him of how Andromeda had gone to them and after confirming he would be banned had worked with them to insure the sudden shift of Potter wealth from the magical to the muggle world wouldn't cause problems. All required taxes had been paid.

Harry was reeling with exhaustion and his healers were practically having cows when Ragnok finally allowed him to sign the document that concluded the last bit of business he would ever do with the goblins.

The remainder of his time in St. Mungo's proved to mostly focus on helping him to make the mental adjustment of thinking of himself as a her instead of a him, testing and figuring out what changes in his body occurred, reading the documentation of how the changes occurred, and understanding why his magical core had been so depleted.

Harry absorbed on the surface their explanations but was dismayed by their projection that it might well be several years before her core was fully recovered if it ever did. She got incredibly frustrated when hospital workers hovered over her as if she was incapable of the smallest task. That most of her visitors were not her friends, and seemed to share that viewpoint only frustrated her even more. Finally the first of January came around despite what the healer said Harry actually felt mostly fine as long she didn't concentrate on the whole being a girl thing. Harry had gotten the names of several books about the anatomy and physiological processes of witches. She borrowed a page from Hermione's book and actually was studying.

Another thing Harry found annoying was the way the male attendants looked her. What was scary was that they struck her as looking at her the way rabid fan girls had looked at him/her during Hogwarts. Harry just wanted to go home. Then it occurred to him the day he was to leave the hospital, he didn't really have a home any longer. Even without Voldie hanging over his/her head it occurred to Harry that Grimauld place now belonged to Draco as did Kreature. Harry didn't dare get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. The press had been awful since he/she woke up. She was about to have a crying fit when Andromeda showed up.

"Harry?"

"Andromeda, I-I don't have a home. I- my clothes don't fit except my Weasley sweaters and I-" Harry gave a massive gulp as tears burst from her eyes despite every effort hold them back.

Andromeda took in the slender young woman in front of her, she knew from all her previous interaction that Harry, even a female Harry, was not normally this emotional. She looked at the healer "When was Harry's last period?"

The healer went pale, and Harry collapsed completely into tears.

"She hasn't before..."

Andromeda sighed, her menarche of all the times to release Harry from the hospital. She gathered the young witch up, "Come on, luv, let's get you home."

Harry wailed, "But I don't have one!"

"Shh, shh, it'll be alright. You'll be coming home with Teddy and I to our flat and we'll be looking after you until things are better."

During Harry's recovery at St. Mungo's and the first week home, Andromeda had quietly made long lists of things she thought Harry needed. Needed to buy, needed to know, needed to do. With Ragnok's help before the agreement was signed she had gotten Harry's government documents in order and a bank account and accounts at an investment firm so that his money was safe and growing. She filled out lawsuit paperwork to make demands on the Ministry of Magic for all the things they had done to Harry in terms of taking property, failing to see that he had been treated decently as a child, and failing to protect him during the ceremony at the ministry. She also filled suits towards Cornelius Fudge and on the Prophet based on libel, defamation of character, and the casual disregard Harry's privacy. She even filed one against 's because someone there had leaked Harry's confidential medical information. The wizarding world was aware that the healers thought Harry's core wouldn't make a full recovery, in addition to the fact he was now a she.

Andromeda's previous law practice had been operated out of her home. When the Death Eater's had come for Ted, they had torched her home and all of her books of history, a law, and psychology which she had bought with her dower jewels were gone along with her soulmate.. Now days she had to go to the Ministry for long hours to use their law books. She wasn't sure what she'd missed more when she'd moved in with Nymphaora and Remus her husband or her books. Andromeda hadn't liked Remus much. It wasn't that he was a werewolf, it was more that he was weak. He didn't accept himself both good and bad, and he preferred to run away rather than confront his emotional problems. The fact that he used his lycanthropy as an excuse and had tried to desert a pregnant Nymphadora instead of facing his own emotions was pathetic. But Nymphadora had loved him and she now had an adorable grandson thanks to them. Furthermore Remus had done well in naming Harry godfather and guardian in the event of their deaths. Harry had been very hands on and involved prior to the attack that had hospitalized her and had asked about Teddy within hours of waking up.

Teddy was serving as a beacon of light and hope for both Andromeda and Harry. Despite having his father's golden eyes and being very strong Teddy showed no other signs of being affected by Remus' lycanthropy. He gave both women a reason not to lose themselves in grief, regret, or confusion and gave them something else to focus on when the problems they were dealing with threatened to overwhelm them.

Harry's first week out of the hospital was stressful. Molly visited, keeping watch over the young witch and Teddy while Andie reviewed law books at the Ministry's law library. Andie also visited the muggle world libraries to reference psychology texts so she could find out how to help Harry with the depression, PSTD, grief and the self esteem issues that Andie had been able to identify while Harry had still been in 's. Molly had taken Harry's decision to live with Andromeda, or Andie as she preferred, and Teddy poorly. Harry disliked the passive aggressive behavior she experienced from Molly but accepted it without changing her mind mostly because Andie didn't try to smother Harry in mothering, but displayed a caring concern tempered with a respect for Harry's accomplishments that Harry knew he wouldn't get from Molly.

Not that things went smoothly between the two older women at first. During Molly's second visit Harry was dressed in the only clothes from Tonk's closet that mostly fit. Unfortunately the clothes were the set of clothes that Tonks kept for when she was going for what she called the bombshell look. Molly took one look and practically screeched, "How can you possibly let her wear something like that?"

Andie shrugged. "It was what we had that fits."

"I hope you don't intend to teach Harry to be the same sort of girl as Tonks."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Andie almost hissed.

Molly responded. "Well, it's not like you raised Tonks to be a proper sort of witch. Are you just replacing her with Harry or is she your second chance to try and do it right?"

Andromeda stiffened as if someone had jabbed her with a poker. "AT least my daughter and I weren't ruled by maternal instinct. We contributed more to the wizarding world than just our progeny. I half think you wanted Harry to come to you to replace what you lost."

Harry lifted Teddy up and said, "This will cease now. I know that you both care what happens to me but what made my decision was Teddy. If this argument ever takes place again I will take Teddy and leave. I have come to love and care for you both but this hurts me and I've already been hurt enough. Teddy and I are going for a walk when I come back I expect this to have been settled is that clear?"

Both of the older women felt ashamed, and resolved not to fight again. Choosing to instead to decide how they would handle the next few months with Harry. They half apologized to each other and then settled on what the next month would look like. One of the first things they agreed on was shopping.

When the first week home from the hospital had passed Andromeda decided it was time for Harry to face the world. Harry desperately needed clothes. Andromeda had chose the muggle world for the first shopping trip for three reasons. First clothing for witches was usually either very conservative and constrictive or very revealing. Harry was body shy enough right now without going through the measuring and fitting that a witch's robe required. In the muggle world except for lingerie, getting pre-made clothes would not involve much embarrassment, making picking things easier. Second Harry didn't know it yet, but the agreement with the goblins would probably translate to problems buying things from the more reputable merchants in Diagon Alley. Andromeda wasn't sure if that would be the case for Harry but she wasn't willing to run the risk for Harry's first shopping trip. Finally by shopping in the muggle world they bypassed the whole issue of Harry's fame; there wouldn't be photographers trying to snap a picture for the Prophet and no fans trying to get autographs or say 'I touched Harry Potter'.

Harry was never more embarrassed than when they were shopping for lingerie and the saleswoman told him/her "You have such a lovely figure my dear, an almost perfect hourglass. You'd be slightly short for a model but with those eyes and those dark curls of yours not to mention your perfect measurements. Have you ever considered growing your hair out, getting contacts and becoming a model? I'm sure you would do very well."

Harry shuddered. She was still trying to get used to the whole thinking she not he and her not him and hers not his and this woman thought he should become a model. A job that frequently included very few clothes and posing in front of a camera. Harry still had trouble facing herself in the mirror every morning without feeling like a pervert for washing her own body. "Never in a million trillion years." She answered.

Harry reluctantly picked up the bras she'd tried on and found acceptable in terms of comfort that Andromeda and the sales woman had told her she needed, and the underwear that she'd picked and went to pay. Praying he never had to having a such an undignified experience ever again now that he knew his bra size was a 36 B, and not really understanding why he couldn't just wear the sports bras Andromeda had bought him all the time.

Andromeda kept Teddy occupied while Harry tried on lingerie. It was the first of many stops today. Andromeda had a long list of what she thought Harry needed for clothes, and other necessities. She had been appalled that Harry had absolutely no clothes except some sweaters that were even close to decent. At 5'8'' as a male Harry had been a little short and definitely borderline scrawny with compact lean muscles. As a woman despite her scars Harry was in a word stunning or rather she would be once she was comfortable in her own skin. But Harry had a long way to go before that would happen.

Six months later Harry was doing much better. She had accepted that she was now a woman. She had grown her hair out from collar length to just below her shoulder blades. She had magical contacts, and pierced ears. She could, when the situation called for it, wear both makeup and heels. She usually spent an hour a day while Teddy was napping with Andie doing therapy and the majority of her time studying for her NEWTs. The time with Andie sparked her own interest in psychology. It had her learning not just how to cope with her own traumas but also gave her the skills to make healthy choices for herself and the tools to deal with her issues that came from her less than stellar childhood. Her relationship with Molly had slowly morphed from her seeing Molly as a mother to one of seeing her as a loving if slightly overbearing aunt.

Harry was healthier financially too. She had taken half her money and invested it, some companies were magical but the majority were muggle. Another third of her money was invested in property the largest and most valuable of which was her farm in Somerset. The remainder of her money was placed in banks in the muggle world, most in Britain but also some in Switzerland and in the Grand Caymans.

Two months out of the hospital Harry had purchased one hundred and four acre farm. The farm when Harry bought it was being sold because the owner didn't want to invest enough into it to make it profitable again. It hadn't been a working farm for more than fifty years so the buildings on it had either collapsed from neglect or were about to. The income the owner got from it came from renting it as pasture. Harry razed the buildings on it to start fresh. She'd started looking into construction companies when she heard from Dean that Seamus had joined his father in the construction business after the war. She contacted her old roommate. "Seamus, what is this I hear about you and your father doing construction?"

"Harry, mate, oh Merlin, the rumors are true. You're a woman now?"

"Yeah," then Harry recognized the gleam in his old roommates eye. "The package may now be female, but the mind is still male. Hit on me at your own peril."

Seamus got an irreverent grin, "Wouldn't dream of it mate. You forget, I've heard you snore. As to construction, yeah, me and my Da are building stuff. He's got the know how and I've been improving on old construction charms. Lots of people in the magical world have been wanting to rebuild after the war it's kinda slowing down now though."

"I bought a farm down in Somerset it's a wreck. I razed what was there and want to rebuild from scratch."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get Da and meet you at the Leaky Cauldron we can get a room and discuss it."

Sean Finnegan turned out to be a robust and energetic man who had a robust sense of humor and a strong desire to create lasting things. When he found out what Harry wanted he had his own ideas as well. "So you're wantin' a place that seems muggle for the most part?"

"Yes."

"And large?"

"I have a preference for that."

"How green do you want it to be?"

"Green?"

"Environmentally conscious?"

"As environmentally conscious as we can make it." Harry said liking that idea.

"Budget?"

"No clue. I can go pretty big though."

"Well any idea on style or what all you need? Are you going to make it a working farm?

"Style no." Harry thought about the idea of a working farm and sort of liked it. "Working farm? Possibly I'll have to do a bit of research."

"Go to the London Library and get an idea of architecture you like or find a base house plan you like. You could also find out about farming there. I'll get in touch with a friend of mine who's an architect we should meet next week If you could bring land surveys that'd be grand."

"Sounds great."

That meeting got pushed back a couple weeks because Teddy's one year checkup showed a problem after a couple tests Teddy's healer concluded that due to something in his blood stream he needed more protein than he'd been getting and recommended to Harry and Andromeda that he get two to three servings of high protein food with every meal. She also reminded them that it needed to be from magical or organic muggle sources or his magic could create an issue and he could develop allergies.

When Harry heard that she decided that she was going to have a working farm not just a country estate. She made appointments with people who were considered leaders in sustainable agriculture, and visited an organic farm trying to get ideas for how she would do it. At the end of two weeks she had a farm plan a list of suggested equipment and a list of buildings that the animals would need. And she had purchased a copy of the house plans that she had found that came the closest to what she wanted in a house. She came to the meeting with the architect and the Finnegans prepared. She had also done enough research that when various terms like anaerobic digestion came up she understood what was being said, and approved it. The property itself had two springs on of which was a hot spring they decided to place the house where they would be able to take geothermal advantage of the hot spring. In the end the house would be heated and hot water supplied by a combination of geothermal and solar energy. Harry opted to place three big wind turbines on the property along with a couple other solar arrays. She opted to get a sewage treatment package that included a grey water reclamation system, an advanced black water processor and a large rainwater collection system . The architect was excited beyond belief because projects like this one are the kind that got written up in architectural journals.

Harry also researched a spell list of what spells she needed to learn and be able to do so that she could get the most from her farm. It was difficult for her to wait the three months while everything was being built. But once building started on the farm Harry busied herself learning everything she could about wards which lead her to studying runes and arithmancy and had her kicking herself for studying divination at Hogwarts. She missed Hermione the most right now because if the other witch had been there Harry would have been able to read just what she needed instead of needing to read and understand al of it.

When the million pound price tag for the house and outbuildings came back Harry shrugged. The house would have a zero energy cost it actually had an energy credit towards the tax debt on the land thanks to the solar arrays and the wind turbines. He had built it with an eye to potentially selling it to muggles one day so the stove was fed by the methane produced by the anaerobic digestion chamber, and the house had been wired except the last bit of hooking the wire to the switch. Instead the switches were a magical activation point but any muggles visiting the house would be none the wiser. The study was attached to the floo network but that was the only room with an active floo. Harry put a small potions lab in the basement along with a sizable storage room with stasis and pest repellant charms so food the farm produced could be stored and stay fresh. He used an old muggle deep freeze to help with the illusion. The kitchen was a gourmet cook's dream seemingly with commercial grade appliances and there was one room in the house that Harry has shielded from magic where she placed a magnetic motor generator to provide electricity and an assortment of muggle devices including a TV, DVD player, a stereo, a telephone and a computer. In addition to the almost . home with six bedrooms and the anaerobic digester, Finnegan Construction built a large greenhouse, a machine shed that housed the farm implements, and a large barn. The barn had a tackroom, a mews, and a bathroom at one end of the hayloft, and it housed a granary room and a small dairy, in addition to having ten good sized stalls, two loose boxes, two large sheep folds and a small pigsty, a kennel big enough for five dogs, and a large area with pens enough for up to thirty rabbits. A small ways from the barn were poultry houses for ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys and three silos.

Harry planned that her farm would eventually supply all of the protein their family needed, which meant raising animals for meat, milk and eggs. She also planned that the farm should be mostly self sustaining and planned for crops of hay, corn, oats and although, she knew she'd have to use magic to get a good crop, soya because it would be a good source of protein fodder for the animals. She planned a variety of other crops but those would be the big three.

She examined the old orchard and winced most of the trees were dead or dying she cleared it and then planted new trees choosing half grown specimens that she pushed with magic a bit so that they would grow faster. She would do this periodically and in two years they would be mature trees.

As she used so much magic helping to get her new home ready she scoffed inwardly,_ just goes to show Healers don't know everything_. Harry came to the conclusion her core didn't follow the rules that most magicals' cores did. She was doing more magic than the healers had said she'd be capable of and it didn't exhaust her as long as she only did one spell at a time. She figured in another year she would be capable of anything she'd done in the past.

Harry enjoyed the construction phase of her farm, she learned a fair bit about muggle civil engineering, as well as agriculture. She was chagrinned to realize that she had overlooked the fact she needed to learn to drive. Sean Finnegan had laughed uproariously when she had realized this while eyeing the tractor in the machine shed. Harry laughed along then enrolled in a driving school. Sean Finnegan had become as much a friend as his son, and the Finnegans walked away from the experience not only wealthier but also with a silent partner.

After the house was finished Bill had come by and helped Harry set up the wards. The wards Harry planned were quite strong to Bill's surprise. Harry had visited the Longbottom estate to examine their wards and Neville had loaned him a book on wards written by one of the previous Lord Longbottoms that had specialized in wards. Harry also had spoken extensively with Narcissa Black on the subject of wards. Initially it was because he wanted to examine the wards on Grimauld Place Narcissa had not only allowed her to, but had also supplied a family reference on wards. Harry had read both books and then applied them well to the ward stones that Harry and the Weasleys would be placing on the property. One aspect of the wards that surprised Bill was the lack of muggle repelling wards. When he asked Harry told him, "Bill, I want as little to do with the magical world as possible. But I have no desire to be completely alone. When Seamus, his Da, and I designed this place we were very, very careful. The public rooms have magic carefully concealed in ways similar to the muggle world. A_ lumos_ and _nox_ spell activated by a switch plate at the door to the room and other light supplied by candles and the like. In the kitchen, cold spells and preservation spells are placed on an sub zero refrigerator we got from a restaurant. There's nothing to indicate to anyone that this is a magical house. As long as Andie and I are reasonably careful not to do magic immediately in front of a muggle no one will be the wiser. If we get guests of the muggle variety, we'll just shut the floo until they're gone."

As that year came to a close Harry quite liked the quiet life she had adopted. She was studying for her NEWTs independently. Between Andromeda and everything Harry had learned of potion making in sixth year from Snapes's old textbook Harry even felt mostly confident taking her Potion NEWT. Finally test days came Harry went through and took her transfiguration, charms, potions, DADA, herbology, and care of magical creatures NEWTS. She also took the OWL tests for arithmancy and ancient runes. When her results came back with nothing lower than an E and four O's they had a big party with all her friends to celebrate.

Two months later Harry was bored. The farm was going well. Aside from some chickens she was waiting until the land was producing before buying livestock and she and Andie maintained it easily with just a couple hours of spell casting a day. So Harry decided to get her Defense Mastery.

She searched carefully for a Master. Many of the masters she met with before settling either wanted to put that young upstart who got rid of Voldemort in her place because for all her accomplishments and the fact she had done something they had been unable to, and others merely wanted to be able to brag and say Harry Potter came to me to get her defense mastery. Many of the former struck Harry as being dark and holding a grudge and the later she just couldn't stand. Finally when she was about to give up she found Master Donatello DiFiori in Italy.

They had coffee together at a little shop in Milan while they held a mutual interview.

"So, Singorina Potter you have many accomplishments in the field of Defense no?"

"Yes, Master DiFiori."

"Why then do you wish to get a Mastery?"

"My accomplishments... I learned and did what I had to to survive but I feel as if I lack the knowledge and probably many of the skills necessary to call myself a master of defense."

"I see. Have you ever taken what you know and taught it to others?"

"Yes, my fifth year at Hogwarts. Many of those same people that I taught, fought with me during the final battle against Voldemort."

"When you were in battle did you fight fire with fire or did you only use light spells."

Here Harry felt very uncomfortable. "When I had the option I fought with light spells but in battle when you're fighting people who are trying to kill you sometimes fighting fire with fire is all you can do."

"Si, I would agree. Two last last questions Signorina Potter. How would you describe your fighting style? Is it, how did my old friend put it, deliberate and studied and practiced to perfection or is it fly by the seat of your pants?"

Harry snorted. "The later, definitely the later."

His eyes took on a gleam that Harry could only describe as delighted. " What will you do when you gain your mastery?"

"I don't know, maybe teach, maybe nothing."

""If you are agreed, I will take you on as an apprentice."

"I have a question for you. Why do you want to take me on as a student?"

"There are two kinds of Defense Masters, those who are studied and deliberate which make up ninety eight percent of Defense Masters. Then there is the very rare instinctive Master of Defense. I am such a master for the last century I have taught many masters but none was an instinctive Master. I am an old man I would like just once to have such a prodigy for a student before I die."

Harry looked at him judiciously. "I think Master DiFiori, that you will get your wish. There are a few details to work out my godson and his grandmother live with me. And I will have to make some arrangements so that my farm in England will be maintained."

" I can house you and your family in my guest house. Will a month be enough time for you to make arrangements?"

"I think so. Last question how much for my apprenticeship?"

"So that you appreciate the value of what you learn one thousand galleons for each month you are my pupil, if I am correct that you are an instinctive Master you will probably be ready for your Mastery trial in a year or two. That is assuming you got better than passing grades on your NEWTs."

Harry passed the page showing her scores on her NEWTs and her OWLs to him.

"Si, you did very well Signorina Potter. I expected no less."

Thus after finding a young muggle couple who would stay in the small flat above the garage and see to the farm, Harry started her apprenticeship. Master DiFiori started by giving her several tests to determine what she knew. Harry was surprised when he requested to test her occlumency."What? Why?"

"To be a true master of defense to know of dark magic is not enough, one must have knowledge of protecting something when not present and how to fix or cure at least some injuries. One must be able to defend oneself not just magically, but also physically, and mentally. "

Harry thought of her disastrous occlumency lessons with Snape fifth year. Then she thought of how she had shut Voldemort out after Dobby died. "I'm not sure I ever properly learned."

"What have you learned?"

So Harry explained when she finished, her Master wore a disgusted look. "Your headmaster powerful though he was is lucky he is already dead or he would be on the receiving end of a horrible hex that sends the crimes of a person back at them in their dreams." He observed a look of protest on Harry's face. "Regardless of his position or reasons for doing what he did, let me assure you young Harry,what that man did to you was a crime. You will need to learn occlumency it is required for defense masters as it is for aurors, solicitors and healers."

"Go ahead and test then." Moments later she could feel his mind brush hers. It was unlike Snape's attacks Harry tried to push the sensation away. But found herself remembering went she'd found out the prophecy fifth year.

Master DiFiori pulled away, Harry had only the slightest hints at shields. This was an area where they would need to do much work, but first he needed to build trust with his pupil, trying to teach occlumency without trust between teacher and pupil was like trying to build a wall of bricks with a muggle wrecking ball. "Alright what do you know of physical defense?"

"Again not much."

"Have you ever held a weapon other than your wand?"

"A sword, but I didn't know what I was doing."

"I will arrange lessons with a friend of mine, there are spells we can use to speed the process up. A master must know at least one form of physical defense the sword by preference."

Harry's first six months in Italy were challenging. Master DiFiori used a spell to teach her Italian, then her learning really began. Three days a week she spent three hours with Signore Marcello the fencing Master her mentor knew. The off nights of her lessons a spell ensured she dreamed of her lessons making it seem as if she had lessons far more hours each week than she did. Signore Marcello was very pleased at her progress. She spent large portions of her time reading about dark spells and dark creatures. To her surprise her training included some first aid and quite a bit about warding. Her master taught her to meditate. Then he taught her how to clear her mind. A process that struck her as being rather like psychotherapy his instructions being to take each memory and sort it after examining it. Harry took it an extra step and not only examined each memory but also examined how she felt about each one. It proved to be a grueling process and Harry was in the beginning of her second year before she was ready for the next step.

Then came the day when Master DiFiori felt she was ready. "Alright, Harry, today I will teach you to be a true occlumens. First I want you to create in your mind the place you are happiest and the most relaxed."

For Harry that was easy she pictured flying through the air on her broom.

"Are you there?"

"Yes, Master."

"Keeping your mind there I want you to open your eyes so I may join you." He smiled as Harry opened her eyes without fear and without hesitation. Her memories of lessons with Snape had drawn this process out by at least a few months. "_Legiliemens" _It was disconcerting for him to find himself midair if he were not a very practiced master this alone would have him scrambling to exit Harry's mind. As it was he had half expected it, he had seen her fly and knew almost all her memories of flying were good. "Now Harry think of a way you can take a memory and hide it in this mind scape. Do this ten times" Moments later the blue sky was dotted with puffy white clouds. "Very good can you tell me what memory is hidden in that cloud."

"The first hug I ever remember getting."

"Very good. I want you to continue to put memories into your mind scape. Add them, a dozen or so, every time you get thirsty for the next two weeks then I'll check you again. I'm very pleased with your progress."

"Master, one question, why is it so different learning occlumency with you?"

"Well, a few things come immediately to mind. Your Professor Snape didn't like you, in fact he hated you. I'm sure that was part of it, and didn't you tell me Dumbledore said he was a natural occlumens?" After receiving a nod he continued, "Such a thing is rare and such wizards are, whether they realize it or not, actually experiencing a form of a mental dysfunction in the sense they seldom are in touch with their feelings. They seldom connect emotionally with anyone and they have great difficulty putting themselves in the shoes of another. As result they tend to completely lack any sort of empathy. Their methodology of occlumency is different and despite his mastery of occlumency, it is quite possible he had no idea of how to teach it."

"That explains Snape, but what about Dumbledore?"

"Have you ever considered the possibility that he too, was a natural occlumens?"

The next month Harry finally got what she'd expected from her mastery training she started dueling again she was surprised as it seemed effortless to duel now when it was one opponent. Her master recognized this and called on his contacts in the Italian ministry to get her more sparing partners in the form of aurors, hit wizards, and unspeakables.

Two months after that he tested her occlumency again the sky was crowded with clouds and snitches. He asked and Harry explained that unimportant thoughts and memories were clouds but important ones were the snitches. He then taught her how to plant false memories and thoughts. Finally he taught her how to actively defend her mind and the sky became dotted with bludgers. A month later he had a friend test her occlumency which she passed with flying colors. He checked with Signore Marcello and was told Harry was now proficient with the rapier despite it was a heavy weapon for a woman. He thought about how magically Harry was beating three and sometimes four opponents at a time. It was time for Harry to take her mastery, as he'd suspected she was a natural master of defense. She was ready for her mastery trial.

Harry took her trial at the Italian Ministry and passed with flying colors. As a parting gift Master DiFiori gave her a finely wrought rapier of goblin manufacture. She had learned much of swords from Signore Marcello and was amazed at the flexible blade . "Is this Damascus steel?"

"No goblin, I paid the commission on it so that it will belong to your family for perpetuity."

"Master, I- this is too much. A sword like this far exceeds what I paid you for my mastery training and-"

"Harry, training you has been a pleasure and an honor for me. I have never had a finer pupil. This sword is a gift. Think of it as a gift from a father to his child. Your apprentice fees were merely my way of satisfying the guild requirements and to assure me you were serious about your training. The wizarding world owes you a debt for ridding us of Voldemort, he would not have stopped with less than the destruction of the entire world. This sword is but a token of what wizards the world round owe you."

She, Andromeda and Teddy arrived back in time to celebrate Christmas with the Weasleys. Harry didn't quite know what to do with herself when she returned to England. She got more animals for her farm and finally unpacked the trunks she had gotten from the goblins. She cried when she opened a trunk that held the wedding portraits of Potters for the last nine generations. She was thrilled to meet her grandparents in their portrait but was saddened to realize that her parents had never sat for a portrait due to the war. One of the other trunks held the Potter family jewels and the family silver. While not as nice as the jewelry she had got as a Black it was still quite nice. Smaller and not quite as ostentatious it allowed her more choices in what she wore day to day. Over the last eighteen months Harry learned there were some perks to being a girl. After all the years of crappy clothing from the Dursleys, Harry knew that a person could get by with clothes that were ill fitting stained and of poor quality and still be a good person. She had never thought about clothing much. But the months after her first shopping trip with Andie had taught her that good fitting clothing of nice materials that were clean, not only meant comfort, it meant good reactions from others. As result she had developed a fondness for good clothes. A year and a half in Milan had turned like into love. She mostly coasted, meeting and making friends with her neighbors from the village four miles down the road. She worked a couple days a week for George in the back room, and alternated weekends hosting Sunday dinner with the Weasleys.

After a few months of letting her coast Minerva McGonagall and Andie decided Harry needed a bit more of a challenge, and Minerva came to tea.

"Harry, dear how are you?"

"I'm good, Professor, and yourself?"

"Busy. Hogwarts takes much of my time."

"I'm sure."

"Harry, is there any way I could persuade you to come and teach Defense this year? We've had retired aurors the last few years but there's been little continuity from one year to the next. The year you took your owls was the year we had the third highest defense scores on OWLs and NEWTs in the last twenty years. Only in the years that Remus and the impostor Moody taught were they higher."

Harry chewed her lower lip for a moment. "But what about Teddy? And the farm? I- I don't know if I could stand going back to the magical world to be stared at."

"If you would like I could make it so you could floo to work each day instead of staying at the castle. You would have to have office hours immediately following classes but you could assign detentions during that time or with Margarite Hammond the new caretaker. And you would only need to attend the sorting and the end of year feasts. Hogsmeade weekends we could schedule you for hours when either Teddy was napping or if you preferred while he was awake you could bring him with you."

"I'll think about it."

In the end Harry agreed. Minerva helped her by finding a squib Thomas Campbell who would help Andromeda run the farm. However, teaching at Hogwarts wound up being more in the public eye than Harry liked.

Halfway through the year Harry had what she considered a brilliant idea. She arranged an appointment with Minerva.

"Minerva?"

"What, Harry?"

"The biggest problem with defense is the lack of continuity from one year to the next right?"

"I would say so."

"What if instead of letting the teachers choose what to teach, you gave them a set course to teach? That way instead of dealing with a miss mash of information, you could have a steady development in the students."

"That would be marvelous, but how could we do it?"

"I don't know. I'll think about it some more."

Over the next two months Harry read almost every defense book on the market and in the end decided that she would write a defense textbook series designed to teach defense in step by step phases.

She finished her year of teaching with relief and pride. Relief to once again step back from the public eye and pride because her students had tied the highest scores on defense.

Andromeda was happy with their quiet life, she could feel herself aging almost daily and wondered if she was only hanging on until Harry found a niche in life. She like Harry worked part time taking on a few cases each month. She kept a close eye on the Ministry. A year after the assassinations the reform process that had been spearheaded by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hermione Granger had slowly ground to a halt. The borders of Magical Britain had closed completely six months following Harry's return from her mastery. Things were starting to get worse again, but not due to the old pureblood dogmas. Hermione's proofs of genetic degradation due to a lack of diversity put together in the two months following the war; that had been published immediately following the assassination had frightened the pureblood's into deciding that halfbloods and muggleborns would make acceptable spouses. But fear of muggles and those with creature blood was again climbing. The Wizengamot was starting to examine some of the older laws with an eye to bringing them back. Unfortunately those laws had the potential to cause a lot of problems for Teddy and Harry. It was also unfortunate Andie didn't have any means of stopping the Wizengamot and the stupidity which it seemed to want to pursue.

After her year of teaching Harry went back to working part time at WWW and expanded her farm's collection of animals from a few sheep, rabbits, and poultry, to include goats, a couple milk cows and beef cattle, pigs and alpacas. She taught herself to spin the wool and hair she collected from her animals. Teddy started nursery school and in the mornings. Harry got around Teddy's metamorphic talents by giving him a charmed glamour stone that assured her that people looking at him always saw the same hair, eyes, and skin when they looked at him. While he was at school she worked on the defense books.

Harry learned that she found more satisfaction living muggle style than she did in the magical world. She made friends with the mothers of Teddy's classmates, joining them for dance classes in the village for exercise. Eventually she was invited to her friend Julie's birthday at a club in Bath. She went but insisted she would be the designated driver .

The night of the party Harry was having a good time listening to the music and dancing. She got thirsty so she moved to the bar."Bartender, another virgin daiquiri." Harry said preparing to pay.

"Let me get that for you." A man said behind her.

Harry turned the man half reminded her of Ron except he was blond not redheaded. "Thanks."

"Mickey. And you sugar are about the sweetest thing I've seen in a month."

Mentally Harry went eew. "But no thanks." She fished the two pounds from her pocket and paid the bartender.

"Sweet thing don't take on that way."

"Let me put it to you bluntly. NOT Interested."

Harry went back to her friends. They stayed for another hour then Harry went for the car that was parked two blocks away so they could head home. She was halfway to the car when Mickey came out of seemingly nowhere and pinned her against a building.

"There you are sweet thing, you and me is going to have a real good time."And his hand moved to the snap of Harry's jeans.

Harry squirmed hard and tried to knee Mickey in the jewels. The result of that was both good and bad. It was bad because Mickey definitely had no compunctions about hitting a woman, the man's strike knocked Harry to the ground. It was good because he let go of Harry's hands and she went for her wand. A _stupefy_ and an _obliviate_ later Harry had control of the situation she used the hex Master DiFiori had wanted to use on Albus that she'd learned about when preparing for her mastery. Mickey would be facing nightmares where he was the powerless one being attacked until he modified his view on women and Harry hoped it would take a good long time. About then a bobbie showed up and Harry reported Mickey's attempted assault; she then told a lie about how she fought him off. The bobbie requested she make a statement. Harry asked if she could do it in the morning because right now her friends were waiting on her at the club to take them home and most of them had babysitters waiting. The bobbie called in another officer to escort Harry's friends home safely instead, and Harry went to the station to make her statement.

The whole experience was somewhat traumatizing. Harry had only in the last six months consciously stopped looking at women and started noticing men. Being attacked had scared her. She had thought been a defense master would prevent that kind of thing but apparently not when you didn't have a wand or sword in hand. Since Italy she had spent hours with Andie discussing sexuality and how she felt. Her romantic experiences as a guy having been extremely limited and mostly awkward. She had still been a virgin when she changed from a boy to a girl. With biology being what it was she wanted children, but there was the matter of begetting those children. Growing up she had thought she would need a female mate but now she would need a male, a confusion that she was still trying to sort out. Now the experience outside the club made her want to withdraw from even considering relationships. Patricia, another friend from the village, suggested that she might recover from the assault more quickly if she took a self defense course. Harry did.

Harry's life for most of the next year was pretty simple. She had her friends in the village that she saw at exercise class, or when dropping Teddy at school, and on market days. Three nights a week she and Teddy went to aikido classes. She spent half her mornings writing, and the other half seeing to her property and the animals on it. Harry actually enjoyed her property the most because with the animals she had chosen Potter's Haven was largely self supportive. Two thirds of the food they ate came from the property. On market days in the village Harry could be found selling some of the herbs, produce, eggs, cheese, milk, soap, and yarn that she produced off the back of a farm wagon. Harry continued to spent three afternoons a week at WWW filling owl orders, producing pranks and giving George someone to bounce ideas off of. Sunday mornings were spent at the local church, and Sunday afternoons were spent with the Weasleys. Harry's life was full if a little quiet.

Harry's twenty third birthday came and at Andromeda's request she spent a couple hours a day learning the laws of the wizarding world. Andromeda had her focus on the laws that were determined more by magic than by wizards themselves to start. Stating that she would need the knowledge when she started sitting her Wizengamot seat in two years.

Then one day out of the blue Harry got a summons from the Ministry of Magic. After dressing in her favorite Ann Taylor pantsuit and an open over robe as a nod towards wizarding fashion, she went and was met by a clearly distraught Mr. Weasley. "Harry, I only found out this morning and I have to say I'm appalled, simply appalled, that this would happen."

"What is it?Is everyone alright? Is Molly okay?"

"They're fine. Ginny just told us she and Dean Thomas will be marrying next summer."

"Really? Well, since you'll see her before I will, pass along my congratulations."

"Harry, I..."

"Spit it out Arthur. The minister has summoned me to level 12 and I'm supposed to be there in five minutes." Harry started walking to the elevators, she didn't want to keep Minister Diggory waiting, She had never quite gotten over feeling guilty that she had played a part in getting Cedric killed.

"Last night the Wizengamot high council signed into law that any witch or wizard that is twenty one or over must marry, and produce children with in two years."

"WHAT?" Harry stopped dead in her tracks.

"Amos Diggory was persuaded to hold a vote in the Wizengamot high council, on the issue to reinstate the marriage law of 1679. Which states that any unmarried witch or wizard over age twenty one will be summarily matched by the Ministry with another witch or wizard who is also unmatched. They are allowing those that are already betrothed to go ahead with their plans but I'm afraid..."

"You're telling me those, those …..Are you telling me some ARSEHOLE who doesn't know me is going to tell me have have to marry some … Some PRICK! SOMEONE WHO PROBABLY, GIVEN THAT THEY AREN'T ALREADY OFF THE MARKET, IS PROBABLY NOT WORTH EVEN HAVING!" Harry didn't feel too bad about making that last statement considering the Wizarding World's tendency towards early marriage. She had noticed that most her classmates had paired up within a year or two of graduation from Hogwarts. She absently noticed that Arthur had turned white and there seemed to be an odd breeze in the atrium. Then she realized that her magic which had been mostly quiet the last couple years was flaring more brightly than either Dumbledore's or Voldemort's did when they were dueling in this spot seven years earlier.

Harry deliberately took a couple deep breaths and drew her magic inwards. "Arthur, I want you to do me a favor. Call Andie, tell her get a sitter for Teddy suggest Hannah Williamson, and then tell her to notify every wizarding publication and every last member of the the Wizengamot. I want them here in half an hour. I don't care if she has to promise interviews to all of the publications just have her get them here. And Arthur, let me know when they're all here."

He left her side and she spent the next five minutes mentally planning how she was going to handle this. Thank God Andromeda had been teaching her wizarding law. She ducked down to the law library on level eleven so she was sure of what the facts about the law were. If anyone thought for even one moment that she, Harry Potter, was going to roll over and give up the rest of her life to the demands of the wizarding world they were about to find out otherwise, because Harry had a few markers on the wizarding world as a whole that she wouldn't hesitate to call in. She might besmirch Albus' name a bit in the process but she figured he would forgive her. She still had a dream of finding someone who would love her, not her fortune and not her fame. She didn't know and frankly didn't care if that person was male or female, but there was no way in hell she was going to roll over on the Ministry's command and allow them to dictate her private life, not after the way they had fucked up her childhood.

Then Harry decided she would stick her nose into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and see if Susan Bones or Ernie MacMillan were in. They had joined the DMLE after graduation. She wanted witnesses lots of them.

It turned out they were both working and when she explained they both promised that law or no law they had her back. This new law wouldn't affect them because Susan had formed a triad with Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom four years ago and formalized it last year. Ernie had married Lisa Turpin a year after graduation. Neither of them would stand by while a good friend was railroaded. Harry waited in the MLE office until twenty-five minutes had passed. Then allies in tow, which to her delight included Luna Lovegood wearing a press pass and Andie, she went to level twelve.

"Ah, Miss Potter, you're late." Amos Diggory looked decidedly nervous. He and about forty others half filled the office. Many people, many of whom Harry recognized and disliked, were waiting. The minister got even more nervous as Harry's allies filed into the somewhat mid-sized Wizarding Office of Family Affairs and Records behind Harry.

"I'm sorry, Minister. What is this about?" Harry said coolly.

"Um, well," He visibly tried to gather himself, "it has come to the attention of the Ministry that the magical peoples of Great Britain are almost an endangered species. Therefore, it was decided in closed session of the Wizengamot high council that the marriage law of 1679 should be re-enacted into law. As such we order that you, as one of our leading citizens, pick a husband from this list and marry immediately."

"Congratulations Amos, despite turning green you actually had the balls to say it. Congratulations on your descent into being a procurer. And here my answer: HELL NO!"

"Miss Potter!" Came the shocked voices of the Wizengamot high council.

One of the more imposing members marched up to Harry. Reginald Barrows had fifty years, nine inches and easily ninety pounds on Harry. "How dare you?"

Harry looked up at him, and arched an eyebrow. "Really? I think that question would be better applied to yourselves."

"You stupid girl! We're fighting for the survival of the magical species. Here choose one." Another old fart handed her a piece of paper. On it was a list of names. she only knew about a third of them but most of the ones she recognized had death eater ties or in the case of Zacharias Smith were people she otherwise wished she didn't know. Then it sunk in that they were the ones here in the office.

"Oh My God, You have got to be kidding me. Like I would ever consider..." then as she reached the bottom of the list she realized that even Reginald Barrows was on the list. "I categorically and without hesitation declare I will never willingly or otherwise marry anyone on this list . Death first and by preference not mine."

Montague, who Harry remembered from quidditch at Hogwarts stepped forward."Potter you're looking at this all the wrong way." He ran his hand down Harry's back and made to squeeze one cheek of her behind. "A beauty like you-"

Harry didn't think, didn't pause. She kneed him in the family jewels then pulled his head to her knee and broke his nose. She followed it it up by clubbing him across the back of the neck with both hands locked together. Montague was out and down but somehow Harry suspected that she still needed to make her point with the other men in the office. Their expressions were shocked not afraid. Harry wanted them afraid, very, very afraid. She kicked Montague hard enough in the side that a faint crunch was heard and the young man's limp body flipped from face down to face up. Planting her boot shod foot firmly on the young man's privates Harry leaned forward to cut the sleeve from Montague's left arm. Grinding her foot down as she did so. A faint trace of Voldemort's mark could still be seen. "A former Death Eater and you have the nerve to suggest I marry it. I BLOODY WELL HELL DON'T THINK SO!"

The men in the room were white. Zacharias Smith grabbed Susan Bones' arm "Did you see that? Potter just assaulted him like it was nothing! Don't you think you should arrest her?"

Ernie looked at Sue, "Did you see an assault?"

"I didn't see an assault, oh, wait, yes I did. Montague ran his hand down her back and groped her. Then Harry defended herself. I suppose we should take him away to be questioned, after a small side trip to St. Mungo's."

Most of the men who had gathered hoping to snag Potter as a wife found themselves dreading what might happen if the Wizengamot high council tried to force Harry to marry. Her words "death first and preferably not mine" ringing in their ears together with the visual evidence that female or not, rumored depleted core or not, Potter was still formidable, had most of them wishing the weren't on the list.

The old man who had originally handed Harry the list, tried to take it back. Harry held it out of reach. "No, I think I'll hang onto this evidence you know." At that moment Arthur came in. Harry saw him and nodded. "I think that maybe this should go upstairs to level ten. Somehow I very much doubt the legality of this marriage law."

Two hours later Wizengamot members now knew why an emergency session had been called and now the debate was raging. Harry could see about half the older members were leaning toward supporting the high council's decision. So she got to feet. "Esteemed members of the Wizengamot may I address you."

The Chief Warlock acknowledged her with a grimace of unhappiness, but only after many of the quarreling members of the Wizengamot had insisted. "Speak, Miss Potter."

"Five years ago, the magical world was self destructing at the hands of Voldemort. He was a petty dictator and a psychopathic killer. Many of you were living in hiding fearful of your very lives. Others of you were forced into behaving in deplorable ways just to try and stay safe. Freedom was not there for any of us. I spent a years living a horrible life and had to do some horrible things to get rid of Voldemort but I fought him and nearly died just so the magical world could be free.

"A man named Charles Beams said, "Freedom is something you have to fight for, rather than something you're given. Being free means being prepared to carry that burden."

"Up until six years ago I carried that burden for the magical world. I, through the sacrifice of my family, bought the world ten years of peace what did I receive in return? This body stole the property of my family in Godric's Hollow and turned it into a national monument. The ministry and by extension this body failed to secure my property against looters and souvenir seekers, threw my innocent godfather into Azkaban without a trial, allowed Albus Dumbledore who wasn't even mentioned in my parents will to place me into an abusive home never checking on me, and ignoring your own laws to do so.

"My first year of Hogwarts I faced a wraith of Voldemort again. He was after the Philosopher stone I defeated him again. My repayment? Being sent back to my abusive relatives. Second year faced him and a bloody huge basilisk. Spent that year being suspected of being evil just because I could talk to snakes. Defeated him again, damn near died because of it, got both basilisk venom and phoenix tears absorbed into my body because of it. And I was once again sent to be with my bloody relatives. Then in third year I nearly died when the Ministry lost control of the dementors at Hogwarts during a quidditch game. I found out my godfather whom I should have grown up with was innocent. But rather than take a chance on believing a couple of kids and giving a pureblood citizen the trial he's entitled to by law, Fudge decides to have him Kissed on capture. I nearly got Kissed again when my innocent godfather and I were attacked by over a hundred of the foulest creatures know to man. I proudly say I helped him escape despite almost being kissed myself for my trouble. What did I get that year? Lied to by the Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, and sent back to my awful relatives. Fourth year I got forced to participate in a stupid tournament that was supposed to be for of age students only. I got called crazy by the magical press for the first time, I got to watch Voldemort murder a friend, your son Minister, just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I fought him again only this time he's back, I tell the then Minister Fudge. He calls me a liar and proceeds to use the press to vilify my name just because he's to much of a coward to admit the possibility. If that weren't bad enough, that summer I defended myself in a life threatening situation when dementors attacked myself and my cousin. Instead of a simple hearing in the Improper Use of Magic Office that anyone else would have gotten I got a full trial in front of this body. Fifth year was bad. Not content to slander me in the press Fudge sends Umbitch, oh excuse me, Undersecretary Umbridge to Hogwarts. She trying to get me to recant the TRUTH by using a class five restricted item, a Blood Quill on me, making me write I must not tell lies." Harry allowed the glamour she usually wore over her hand to fall. "Oh, and she was rubbish as a defense teacher too; and at the end of the year she tried to use an Unforgivable on me and confessed to being the one to have set Dementors on me the previous summer. To my knowledge she was never punished despite that by your own laws she should have been. If she weren't bad enough, Dumbledore tried to have me taught occlumency by a man who hated my guts never mind that, the antipathy was entirely mutual. I can't say I'm surprised it was a total flop. I've since found out that trust and respect is required for such instruction. I swear Dumbledore must have been starting to lose it by then, but not one of the so called responsible members of our society noticed and called him on it or otherwise tried to do something constructive about it. Of course what year would be complete with out a visit from You Know Who and his flock of merry men. Oh excuse me, I meant to say flock of psychopathic killers. They tricked me into coming here to the Ministry and I lost the closest thing I'd had to a loving parent that night. Sixth year ...well, suddenly I was once again the magical world's darling boy again. Did I get apologies from the Ministry or the press? No. At the end of the year Dumbledore died, I hope if he'd have had it to do over he'd have done things differently, but with Albus it's hard to tell. My seventh year Voldemort had overrun the Ministry. Would he have been able to do it if Fudge hadn't had his head so far up his arse, I'm not sure. All I know is the world lost a lot of good witches and wizards because of pride, fear, stupidity, and an unwillingness on the part of this body to face reality, or even to follow it's own laws. Then came the award ceremony and because of laxity on the Ministry's part three more good people, good friends of mine, died and I was transformed.

"I have done my part and then some for the magical world. I didn't have much of a life growing up but I have one now. I'm still trying to figure who I am out and what I want after the change... " Harry deliberately made her voice get softer as she spoke these words. Voice still soft she continued, "But I will DAMNED OR DEAD before I let any of you sheeple dictate the rest of my life." She let her magic flare strongly through the large room.

"The high council of the Wizengamot in its vast stupidity has re-enacted the marriage law of 1679. Disregarding our laws that clearly state: the high council can only make unilateral decisions in time of war and only concerning matters of war. What I want to know is will the Wizengamot uphold what the high council has done? I would like to point out the fact that in 1682, a mere three years later, the marriage law was overturned as being counter to the nature of magic itself. I also want to know how on earth the high council can possibly believe that forcing people who don't like each other to marry will result in more children for the magical world? It is more logical to wait and let people find a person they want to be with and allow things to happen naturally than to try to force the issue. Maybe you should try passing tax incentives or offer to help with Hogwarts tuition instead, to encourage people to have more children or something.

"Furthermore I ask you, the members of the Wizengamot, does everything I fought for, the freedom from oppression that I and countless others fought and sacrificed for, count for nothing? Many of you here owe your lives and freedom to me and my friends. Are you going to allow idiots like the ones on the high council to steal yours and my freedom the way you allowed Fudge to steal your safety away seven almost eight years ago? I beg the Wizengamot to do the right and responsible thing and undertake the burden of protecting the freedom of the wizarding world. Overturn this illegal action and please for pity's sake take power away from people who show an inclination to abuse it. Because if Britain's Magical community has really been reduced to the point where it's government pimps it's own citizens then perhaps the magical community would be better off extinct.

"I know if Kingsley Shacklebolt were here, he would be appalled at the way so many of you are allowing fear and lack of vision take us backwards into a past that has lead to Dark Lords, war, destruction and death, instead of taking us forward into a new millennia where peace and understanding reign. I know I have eighteen more months before I can take my place among you, but I beg you have enough vision and trust in the future to overturn this idiotic decision of the high council. Thank you, I will leave you to your deliberations."

Harry exited the Wizengamot chamber.

Susan came over. "Very persuasive Harry. What if they don't overturn it?"

"I go dark. I meant it when I said damned or dead first."

"Okay, can I go on record as your first follower?" She said with a grin.

Harry couldn't help it. She laughed; with Hermione and Ron's deaths Neville, his wives, Luna, George and Angelina were probably her closest friends in the magical world. "Okay, hopefully it doesn't come to that."

An hour later Arthur and Andromeda exited. They had stayed to hear the vote. Andromeda said, "By a twelve percent margin the decision of the high council was overturned. Their now debating the high council appointments. But I wouldn't expect much."

Harry let out a huge sigh of relief and the breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. "That is a relief."

Arthur spoke up. "Harry, I know and understand why you've mostly withdrawn from the magical world and I don't blame you, but I think that the wizarding world needs someone with your vision or as we seen today, we back slide. I think you need to start learning to play politics to build your influence back up. To get others to listen to you again."

Harry opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. She had been content to live separate from the magical world, but look what had happened. She had almost lost her freedom. She gave a reluctant nod. She would have to pull out Hermione's journal and study her old friend's notes on what changes she had planned to make as part of Kingsley's cabinet.

"I'll ask Molly to plan some dinner parties at the Burrow and introduce you to some people."

Harry gave another reluctant nod. "Maybe we should alternate and have a few at Potter's Haven." Potter's Haven had been her haven against the wizarding world. Only Seamus, Andromeda, Minnerva, and the Weasleys had actually been there. It was time to change that. "Remind Molly and the rest of the family that Sunday is at my place. We can discuss this then.

"And by the way, Andie, thanks for making me study the laws."

"You put it to good use, luv." the slightly frail older witch said.

"Let's go home. Teddy probably is wondering what happened."

A/N: I've got more but it is pure romance from this point forward. If there's an interest I'll post it . If not I think this is a decent stop point.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

A/N: Thank you for the marvelous reviews, the criticisms were definitely spot on. Keep in mind this started as a monster plot bunny. I'm sure had it had rabies. I was originally just trying to get past it hence the bare bones approach of the first chapter. This chapter sees a slow down and more development both of Harry and other characters principally Ike. In general, I'm not a huge fan of girl Harry usually because they rush him right into relationships. I can't imagine having my sex changed involuntarily and not being seriously messed up by it. For that reason I would like to point out that it's been more than five years and Harry has had a fair amount of counseling by this point. Even at the end of the chapter when it's been ten years Harry still sometimes thinks/reacts in guy fashion about some things; something that I think fits both with her situation and her character. To all the readers of my other stories I have been working on them I've just been stuck. I've got half a chapter of Prongs, ditto Trust, and a third of one for Hero, I've got two thirds of Yet and I actually managed to add to Trust and Yet yesterday for the first time in like a month and a half. I have been writing my little heart out unfortunately it has been on monster plot bunnies not the stories which I know you all want to see. Witch is the only one I comfortable posting since it's half done and it won't be huge. Enough notes on with the story.

Harry Potter Witch

Chapter 2

Aside from Harry's social life doubling, the next eighteen months were pretty quiet. Harry, with the encouragement of her friends in the village, started to try dating again, and the various Weasley women also tried their luck at matchmaking. Introducing her to several wizards and a few witches. Harry found that reactions to Teddy were a very good gage by which to judge the character of her dates. In the wizarding world she used the fact he was the son of a werewolf, if it made her date uncomfortable there wasn't a second date. In the muggle world if the men took the fact she seemingly had a child while still a teen as an indication that she was somehow loose they were dropped. Harry found that most wizards were either too in awe or too opinionated regarding magical species or too judgmental regarding her status with the Goblins. As a result she mostly dated muggles.

Dating resulted in a couple of new close friends. Fleur introduced Harry to Simone Fouchard, a French witch who had been a steady date for four months. Simone helped Harry finally decide that a traditional relationship that would result in a child was what she wanted. Harry wasn't fully comfortable with the raised eyebrows that happened when she was out with a woman romantically. Harry supposed it was due to having spent so much time being a figure of adoration from girls made her uncomfortable getting attention from females. Pairing it with the censure that homosexual relationships usually got Harry opted to go for what was now a straight relationship. Harry at this point had an eye opening realization that she had been so busy trying to survive to adulthood that she had never really discovered what things she wanted out of her relationships. As a teen she had only played at relationships in the most shallow of ways part of her wondered if she had been straight as a male or if she had been bi without realizing it. Going after only girls because that had been what was expected.

A couple months after she and Simone parted, Nicholas Pembroke, who took over as her investment manager at the brokerage where she kept most of her money, helped her to discover chemistry with a man was possible, but was not enough to base a relationship on. On the day she and Nick met he had taken her hand and they both felt a shiver of awareness, he had immediately asked her out. Over the next few months Nick took Harry out and many of those dates ended with Harry pleasuring Nick with her hands or mouth. Mostly because she wasn't comfortable going all the way but also because she didn't want to leave him in the position that Ginny had left her/him in a few too many times. Nick wanted to go out often, and they went to the hottest new restaurant or nightspot. Harry was more content to spend half her day working her farm then spending a couple hours writing and making herself available for Teddy. After a few arguments when Nick wanted to go out on a night when Harry was tired or had other commitments the next day, they parted as friends.

Harry's last new friend came about when her friend Julie in the village, who knew Harry wrote, just not what she wrote, introduced Harry to Gerard Keaton who was an editor at a publishing house. Harry's writing had expanded beyond just her defense texts, she had found herself writing stories down to remember them and to relax and offset the serious nature of the rest of her writing. Gerry helped her publish them in the muggle world under the fantasy genre where she rapidly became a best selling author much to her amusement. He was fun and a good friend, but chemistry was lacking on both sides so after two months they settled on being friends that flirted a lot and worked together.

On the seventh anniversary of the attack that caused Harry to become a woman, her defense texts were released to the public for sale. Wyvern Publishing had been a start up the year Harry was first looking for a publisher. It had been started by Kevin Entwhistle a muggleborn class mate of Harry's, Harry had accepted the contract they had offered for her book because Kevin had told him that the public appearances they would ask for would be kept to a minimum. The books were instantly hailed as the definitive guides to Defense. Harry worked with Headmistress McGonagall and her grand-nephew Joshua McGonagall, that year's defense teacher, to coordinate implementation of the books as the defensive course work for Hogwarts. Minerva praised Harry saying, "Now I have a clear criteria by which to judge if applicants are qualified to teach."

On her twenty fifth birthday Harry was shocked when all her magical friends, including Master DiFiori, and all her friends from the village showed up at Potter's Haven at a surprise party organized by Andromeda. There were over two hundred people there, Harry hadn't realized that over the years she had accumulated so many friends. It was long, loud and without incident to Harry's amazement, given the number of both pureblood magicals and muggles present. In the end she surmised it was due to the fact that most of her magical friends had received a fair amount of education from her about how not to be noticed, that and the copious amount of drinks that were served to the adults in the crowd.

That birthday also earmarked a change in the British magical government. Harry was actually the youngest of her peers to come of age to join the Wizengamot but between the younger generation gaining their seats which also included Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones. The coalition that Harry had spent the last eighteen months forming finally had enough votes in place that they forced a change in government. A middle aged witch, Jewel Townsend, who was a halfblood, was named minister, and to the Weasleys delight she named Percy as her Senior Undersecretary.

Percy had been in a solid position in the Ministry during Kingsley's administration but had lost most of his influence when Diggory took over. Jewel Townsend had a progressive mindset and she remembered Percy from when Kingsley had been named Interim Minister following Voldemort's fall.

Harry helped establish the credibility of the new government by helping Wyvern Publishing expand. Kevin Entwhistle gained a silent partner, Harry, and they started a newspaper, the Wizard's Herald, that had brought the factual muggle style to newspaper reporting. In a year's time they had replaced the Daily Prophet as the source for reliable news. There was also a section in the paper that tracked news in the muggle world that they made available for an extra two knuts to subscribers.

On joining the Wizengamot Harry had learned that Magical Great Britain basically isolated itself following Dumbledore's death. Whether it was because of fear as Harry suspected or simply because following the fall of Kingsley's Ministry there had confusion about who was actually in charge Harry didn't know. Only quidditch and the goblins had been outside of Britain on a regular basis since Dumbledore died, furthermore during the war the English national team didn't participate in the World Cup. Diggory's ministry had been so busy trying to fix the nuts and bolts using the old model within England following Kingsley's death that they had fixed nothing and the isolation had continued.

When Jewel Townsend had become minister she acted on a plan that had been carefully planned by herself, Augusta, Neville, and Hannah Longbottom, Susan Longbottom-Bones, Cecil Warwick, William Ogden, Enos Fenwick, Percy and Arthur Weasley, and Harry Potter using notes left to Harry by Hermione Granger. The plan had a three prong approach. Education reform and first contact protocols for muggleborn had been a huge part of the new government. The second prong had been equalizing economic and political opportunities and breaking down the blood based barriers. The third prong had been about evolving an enlightened policy toward those magical creatures that shared the magical world. The plans had addressed the almost all the internal issues and jump-started the dwindling English magical economy. It had taken eight months for the economic plans to take off and another seven to end the animosity between the magical races.

The new government did face opposition most of it centering around Lord Black. Draco had dropped his father's surname since it equated Death Eater in the minds of many, but he had managed to gather support and influence from the most conservative elements in the Wizengamot and his handsome youthful appearance had proved a rallying point. Draco wasn't as bad as he'd been in school, but his position against change for changes sake helped to balance against the elements of Harry's coalition's that were described as liberal and too exuberant for change.

A few weeks after Harry's birthday Andromeda developed a persistent cough and complained frequently of headaches. It was just a continuation of a long slow decline that she'd been on since the war. Harry finally bullied her into going to St. Mungo's. Healers at St. Mungo's attributed her steady deterioration to the broken soul bond with her husband and the dark curses that had been cast at her the night that the Death Eaters had attacked her and Ted all those years ago. There was nothing they could do. One night six months later Andromeda quietly passed in her sleep.

Harry and Teddy grew closer after Andie died. And it was late June of the year Harry was going to turn twenty-eight when Fate once again stepped into Harry's life.

Despite Jewel's efforts, international recognition that the British Ministry was a legitimate government had been non existent. No other government was willing to chance the risk of sending representatives into a country that had had been a major exporter of magical terrorists. This had stalled out the progress of the British economy, and no one was quite sure how to fix the problem.

Harry resented that Jewel frequently drafted her to play envoy with the Muggle British government. Harry had sat in on a dozen meetings between the Prime Minister Tony Blair and had found herself pulled into a dozen more meetings as liaison when Gordon Brown took his place in office he had had many questions and Harry unfortunately was regarded as the magical expert on the muggle world because so much of her life was spent living there. Although there were numerous muggleborn that knew equally as much, none of them had a Wizengamot seat or was a hero therefore the job fell on Harry to her dismay. Jewel turned to Harry for ideas of how Magical Britain could re-establish itself.

As Harry went through her day she thought about how summits were used to politic in the muggle world. Then thought about how such a thing could be done magically and came to the conclusion a true political summit wouldn't work not at first. So Harry had suggested an educational summit; suggesting that by contacting Beauxbatons, Drumstrang, and other schools worldwide they could help other countries see Britain was once again safe. Harry had used her own contacts in the Italian ministry to get their cooperation. Headmistress McGongall had been pleased that Hogwarts was going to play a further role in the recovery of Great Britain and had cheerfully opened the castle. Magical Britain was thriving again, all that remained was convincing the rest of the world.

Harry, by the virtue it was her idea, got roped by the Ministry and McGonagall into presenting at the first international education symposium being held at Hogwarts the last two weeks in July. Minerva had called it Harry's chance to help revive Hogwarts' international reputation and an excuse for Harry to revisit the castle and learn about all the changes she had managed to make once she got full control of the school after the fall of Diggory's Ministry.

Harry regarded it as a farce and a stress she didn't need. But Jewel guilt tripped her and McGonagall pleaded and in the end Harry agreed. Claiming it would be a chance to introduce Teddy to Hogwarts and the sights connected to Harry's stories of his father. But Harry dreaded the Summit because Jewel had made it that Harry not only had to be there, Harry was in charge. Harry just prayed her usual luck didn't come into play.

Teddy was almost the center of Harry's life, but because of the symposium she had been too busy to really celebrate his birthday. He had inherited the keen intelligence of his parents and his fathers love of learning as result Harry encouraged him to learn everything he could. As a belated present to Teddy for his 10th birthday Harry booked them on several tours to see historic sites in England. Their first tour had them touring Stonehenge. As they walked back to the bus from the great stone circle Teddy tripped and fell onto Harry causing her to fall onto an American tourist. Harry felt mortified because here she was sprawled across the innocent tourist in full body contact.

"Oh, gees, I'm so sorry." Harry apologized while trying to carefully get up so she wouldn't by accident do any more damage. "Are you alright?"

Dwight "Ike" Iverson was poleaxed, not because the dark haired beauty who had knocked him down was heavy, but because her emerald gaze fairly sparkled. He smiled, "A little jarred, but I'm okay."

"Teddy?"

"I'm fine, Mum. Scraped my hand a bit but it'll be okay. You okay?"

Harry got back to her feet. Her ankle twinged but she'd had worse. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ike found himself glancing at the woman's hand looking for a ring. He was relieved that there wasn't one. He knew he was going to try to get to know this woman. "I'm Ike Iverson. You are?

"Harry Potter, and this is Teddy."

"Teddy, you look at little younger than most of my students which would make you ten?"

"You're a good guesser."

"Thanks." He noticed a slight limp in the woman's step. "You're limping."

"It's nothing. I torqued my ankle slightly."

"Here take my arm I'll help you back to the bus." Ike found himself on the receiving end of an extremely searching glance. "Trust me, I'm harmless. I'm a history teacher at a private school in the U.S. I live in Colorado. I'm here for the summer for a couple reasons. One I'm doing research for my second doctoral thesis in history about history here in England. My first was on U.S. History. Then in July, I'm going to a two week education summit. I'm staying in the U.K. until late August. This is my first week so I'm indulging in a bit of sightseeing."

After another searching look, the brunette answered. "We're up from Somerset celebrating Teddy's birthday. It is nice to meet you, Mr. Iverson."

"Ike, please. Mr. Iverson is my dad. This is going to sound forward but I've been here four days and I'm feeling lonely could I prevail on both of you to join me for dinner? Unless you've already got other plans."

"It's very kind of you, but we've got animals at home to care for."

"Really? What kind?"

Teddy jumped in to answer."Well there's Marigold and Buttercup, our Guernsey cows. Ruby and Garnet, the Devon cows, Aster, Bluebell, Daisy, Hollyhock and Pansy are our milk goats. Harmony, Melody, Piano, Forte and Coda are the alpacas. There's the chickens they don't have names, neither do the ducks and geese, we ate last year's Queen's birthday, this year's Queen's Birthday and Guy Fawkes are still just a chicks. Then there's Velveteen, Floppy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Fiver, Hazel and their babies . There's Duke, Duchess, and Majesty our cats, Petra, Morgana, and Skip our dogs, and Fleet. He's our pony. And then there's the nine sheep, the twelve other goats, the four pigs, and Ruby and Garnet's four calves, they're boys so when they're big enough we'll eat them."

"That's quite the menagerie. Do you live on a farm?'

"Sort of."Teddy answered.

"We do, we try to be as self sufficient and green as possible. The sheep, goats, and alpacas are raised for mostly for wool or milk, although we also raise a couple others for eating. We have fish in the pond and a good segment of the stream: bream, carp, and brook trout. With the exception of the turkeys which are named for when we eat them only the animals we don't intend to eat get names. We raise all our own meat and most all our own produce. I sell or trade our excess to pay for what we don't grow ourselves."

"I bet that takes a lot of time."

"Not as much as you might think." Harry half smirked thinking of how magic made the chores take minutes instead of hours. And allowed her to grow more crops in less space and crops that wouldn't otherwise grow in the U.K. not to mention do heavy work like lifting mammoth hay bales.

"So how do you pay the taxes."

"I'm a published author."

"Really? What genre?"

"Mum writes textbooks and fantasy novels."

"That sounds.. diverse."

At this point they had reached the bus and Harry decided Ike knew enough about them, for now at least. It had surprised her how much she would have liked to accept his invitation. "So, Ike, I must confess I don't know much about the U.S. I recall that Colorado is somewhere in the west and has mountains ." That was all she needed to say for Teddy to turn interrogator. The remainder of the tour which was just the ride back to London really. Teddy deflected Ike's conversation away from Harry quite nicely, grilling him about Colorado and life in the U.S.

In London Harry and Teddy bid Ike a polite goodbye.

Ike sighed as the two left. Then he started for his own hotel. On the way he walked past a bookstore. On a whim he went in and found the fantasy section, in general it wasn't a book section he frequented unless he was wanting to read something funny. Reality and author's imaginations about magic being too divergent. He saw three books on the shelf by H.J. Potter. He wondered if Harry was short for Harriet and what the J stood for. He took the books off the shelf and to the front to pay.

Ike had dinner in the pub downstairs then went up to his room where he read through the materials he'd gathered so far on the history project his oldest brother asked him to do. He'd have to make his way to Diagon Alley tomorrow and see what materials he could gather from there. He made some notes, then after turning on some music he picked up the first book he'd bought from the bookstore. It was a wonderful rich tale of a werewolf growing up and the troubles he faced and the friends he made. The story ended when he found a girl that would look beyond the label werewolf and settled down. Ike smiled as he closed the book it was a story that Annette would love, because of what had happened to her twin. He resolved to give it to her at the symposium in July. Reading the story he could almost believe its author knew about magic. Magic hadn't been a huge part of the story but the details, few though they were, were actually accurate. Which left Ike wondering if Harry was a magic user or if she was like him a non-magical child born of magical parents or if the magic she did speak of was just from her imagination. In the end he supposed it didn't matter because it wasn't like he'd see her and her son again.

Lucky for him fate had other plans.

Five days later. Ike got on a bus to go on a Tower of London tour and was surprised to see Harry and Teddy on the bus. "Mind if I join you?"

"Ike!" Came a cheerful shout from Teddy.

Harry felt a quiver in her chest. She had found herself thinking of the American at odd moments frequently since they had met. "Mr. Iverson, please do."

"Remember it's Ike, Mr.-"

"Iverson is your father." Harry finished for him. She found herself smiling. His sense of humor and smile reminded her of Sirius somehow. They went on their tour which included a visit to see the Crown Jewels then a visit to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. After that the tour went to Harrods where they had a cream tea. Harry had paid for one additional serving because Teddy had practically inhaled his first and was still hungry. They discussed the history of the Tower they had learned that morning. Ike was impressed by the amount of history that Teddy had managed to absorb and the questions he managed to formulate based on the information he'd gotten. Teddy excused himself to go to the loo.

"He's very intelligent isn't he?"

"Yes, he's like his father."

"Do you miss him? Teddy's father?"

"Yes, I miss Remus."

"What happened? Why isn't he here raising his son?" Ike really meant why are raising Teddy by yourself but was hesitant to ask.

"He died when Teddy was only a couple months old."

"Oh. Sorry if I..." Ike felt awkward. "It must have been hard being widowed that young."

"What?" Then Harry realized that Ike thought that she had been married to Remus. "Oh. Um... Remus and I weren't married. Teddy is actually my godson. Remus and Teddy's mother, Tonks, were killed when he was a baby and it fell to me to raise him. I actually had the help of his grandmother up until almost two years ago."

"Oh." Ike was quiet for a moment. "Still it can't have been easy as young as you are."

"Easy, no, but it came with its own set of built in rewards." Harry shot a smile at her son as he rejoined them at the table.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I thought Teddy and I would visit the Camden markets for a couple hours. Before heading back to Somerset."

Ike thought about the work he was supposed to be doing, then he thought about spending a couple hours in the company of this intriguing woman. "Mind if I join you?"

Harry, found herself wondering what Andie would have told her in this situation. He was a muggle but that didn't really matter to her. She was attracted to him, when she'd fallen on him she'd felt tingles head to toe, but he was also an American. Was he just out for a summer fling? "Why?" Part of Harry was annoyed that that question popped out, she thought she had more control over her tongue than that.

Ike considered the question. It wasn't an unreasonable one for a woman to ask, especially a woman with a child in the equation to consider. "Why do I want to tag along or why am I pursuing you?"

Harry thought hard. "Both."

Ike couldn't help but think in poker terms it was time to put up or shut up with this woman. "I find you to be the most intriguing woman I've every met, we've only been around one another for a few hours but that is how I feel. I want to tag along because I want to spend more time trying to figure out the puzzle that is Harry Potter. I am attracted to you but I swear I will not try to pressure you into anything. Besides I'd like to see the sights of England with the guidance of a native rather than fumble about on my own."

Teddy, who up until that moment had only been curious about this man, suddenly looked at him in a different light. Teddy didn't want Harry to be alone all her life but he was very protective of his mum. Nana and he had discussed things when Harry had first begun dating years ago. Teddy like Andromeda and Harry had an interest in Psychology. He had read most the texts about it that were in the library at Potter's Haven. He also enjoyed people watching. He knew because of his youth he couldn't recognize everything, but at times he felt that he had inherited a few of his father's traits beyond needing a higher protein diet than most kids, and being sensitive to the phases of the moon. He had always been sensitive to the intentions of Harry's dates and had found it amusing when his mum used him as a gauge on her dates. But not one of those dates had ever made a statement like that before, not even Simone, Nick or Gerry which had Teddy's protective instincts flaming.

Harry was surprised and flattered by Ike's statement. It also caused a flame to ignite deep inside her. "You can come, if I get to ask questions."

"Only if I get to ask some in return."

"Okay."

"Ask away."

"I know you're a history teacher. Why teach and why history?"

"Teaching is the best way I've found so far to influence the future, I would imagine as a textbook writer you can understand that. As to why history, I suppose it's my optimist streak coming out maybe if we learn the lessons the past has to teach we can avoid repeating them. What subject are these textbooks you write?"

"Defense." Harry really wanted to discourage this line of questioning because it was hard to explain without explaining magic. "They're used to teach people basic skills and a mindset so if they're ever attacked they can respond correctly to the situation. Hopefully saving lives in the process."

"Interesting, why defense?"

"It's a very long story and a deeply personal one, besides it's not your turn."

"Okay," Ike recognized her reluctance for what it was and backed off. "So what do you want to know?"

"Your family."

"Oo, huge topic. Okay, I'm one of nine kids. Six are older two are younger. My parents are great. Mom's the principle at the school where I teach, and no she wasn't the person who hired me so no accusations of nepotism please. My father is a doctor he actually runs a medical center. Mom's parents are still alive they're archeologists we see them once or twice a year. My folks have a large house; it's more of a mansion really. It has room for everyone, including just about all the in-laws and their immediate families. The oldest is my brother Jake who is married to Annette. He works for the government, he specializes in risk assessment. They have two kids Haley and Jake jr. Annette also works at the same school as me. Then comes the twins Andrew and Alex. Drew is a zookeeper and animal researcher. He's gay but in a committed relationship with a man named Kyle Ironhorse. Alex followed in my grandparents footsteps and meet his wife Shari on a dig in India. Somehow she manages to follow him around the globe and take care of their rug rats, Arjan and Arabella. Then comes Connie; she's a researcher with a pharmaceutical company and her husband is Kent whom she met on the job. How those to ever lifted their heads up enough to notice one another I'll never know. They're expecting their first in December. Next is Michael, and it's always Michael never Mike. He's a little anal retentive but he's good at doing what he does; which is managing the family assets. His wife Denise is a complete and polar opposite to him but she gives him balance helps him remember there's more to life than what's on a balance sheet. Then comes Wendy short for Gwendolyn she also works in government but she likes the wheeling and dealing connected to the lawmaking side and frequently acts as a liaison. Peter is her husband, he's a lawyer. They have five kids Simon, Noah, Lawrence, Nicolas, and Tate; the last three are triplets. Then comes me. Next is Benjamin he's a doctor like father, his wife Judith is also one. She's into trying to cure diseases that so far are incurable. They had Rebecca who's also the most wonderful and least troublesome of all my nieces and nephews. Last is Renee who is still in college. According to Father she's a professional student." Ike paused and seemed to run through a mental checklist and his expression said is that everyone? "Yes, that's everyone."

Harry giggled, smiling because the description reminded her of the Weasleys. "That's quite the family." She lead them out of the Underground that they had been riding to Camden.

"What about you? I know Teddy, so who else?"

"No one." Harry gave a sad smile at the dismayed look Ike was now sporting. "I was orphaned at fifteen months and grew up with my Aunt and Uncle and cousin. But they're gone now. Uncle Vernon had a heart attack when I was nineteen,which is not surprising because he was morbidly obese and still ate three eggs and four rashers of bacon every morning. Aunt Petunia died of breast cancer two years later and Dudley died in a pile up New Years Eve of that same year. I have some good friends that I love almost like family, but Teddy is my only family." Harry blinked hard for a moment or two. Then said, "We're here. Is there anything in particular you wanted to shop for? Teddy and I were wanting a couple of T-shirts."

"Ah, just a couple souvenirs for my nieces and nephews. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You had no way of knowing until you asked so it's fine. It's long past being fresh. Let's shop."

Ike found himself thinking that Harry's tragic lack of family was probably why defense was something she thought about. The next three hours were enjoyable Harry revealed a puckish sense of humor. Ike also found himself the constant target of an almost laser like pair of golden brown eyes. Harry had excused herself to use the loo when Teddy made his move. "I know you like my mum. I am okay with that as long as you don't hurt her. Hurt her and I'll hurt you. Got it?"

Ike felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Something about the way Teddy said those words reminded him of a magical vow. "Got it." Ike was disconcerted. Magicals as a rule weren't this comfortable in the muggle world even muggleborns as adults would slip and show themselves as magical. Was Harry magical or not? Teddy was. Ike was certain. If Harry was, should he even pursue this? As a squib he was hardly marriageable material for a witch.

They ate dinner from the market stalls.

"I'm stuffed." Harry declared.

"Just one more slouvaki stick, Mum, please?"

Harry smiled and said "Last one, I'm not sure the meat is organic." She handed Teddy some money. "Get me a bakalva, too."

"Organic? This is a big deal why?" Ike was curious.

"Teddy has a rare metabolic condition; we're not sure how or why. We suspect it is connected to a condition Remus had. He has to eat large amounts of protein or he doesn't thrive the way he's supposed to. Because he eats so much meat, eggs, and dairy I prefer to be careful of the source we get it from. I don't want him getting the growth hormones and antibiotics that many non organic sources use. It's one reason we raise our own. Speaking of which we need to head back the animals don't milk themselves. I've really enjoyed today, Ike."

"Me, too. So are you and Teddy doing any more excursions any time soon."

"Westminster Abby and St. Paul's in a week. After that there's a conference I have to travel to for work."

"Which company?"

"Original London sightseeing one of the hop on and off passes. We plan one of the self guided audio tours."

"What time?"

"Ten."

"It's a date." Ike was happy to see that Harry got a smile when he said that.

Teddy ran back to them.

"Time to go, luv."

"Okay bye, Ike. Will we see you again?"

"Next week. I'll be meeting you for your tour of Westminster and St. Paul's."

"Cool. See you then."

"See you. Goodbye, Harry, I've had fun and I look forward to next week."

The next week had Harry debating her wardrobe, part of her wanted to dress up and the other part of her was saying it's just sightseeing. Finally she compromised by pulling out a fine gauge knitted tank in turquoise made from yarn she'd spun herself, and a long, full casual white cotton skirt the most comfortable walking flats she had and some of the simplest of her Black jewelry and called it good. She couldn't quite understand the butterflies she was having, while standing and looking in the mirror, and thinking about today.

Suddenly she heard Teddy yelling, "Come on, Mum you take much longer and we'll be late."

Harry quickly disillusioned her wand holster double checked her glamours that hid her scars on her arms, and grabbed her foldable umbrella. Tucking the umbrella into her handbag she headed down to the study. They flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. Then went by bus to the tour bus ticket office.

Ike was amused at himself he had arrived at the bus ticket office twenty minutes early. He felt relief when at two minutes until ten he saw Teddy get off a public bus half a block away. He then saw Harry get off behind him and he felt his mouth go dry. He had known Harry was fit but on both previous occasions her clothes had been slacks and a button up shirt that didn't display much skin or in anyway emphasize her figure. This was a whole other case. The sweater tank subtly clung to her breasts. He could tell that she'd dressed up for him because she was wearing an intricate rose quartz pendant and chandelier silver earrings versus the plain studs she'd worn on previous occasions. Her lightly tanned arms were more muscular than he'd expected, but she did live and work on a farm. Her skirt emphasized the sway of her hips as she moved. He took a deep breath and pulled the mental leash on his hormones telling himself down boy. "You made it!"

The next four hours were fun. Ike found out that Harry liked swords and was teaching Teddy to fence. Teddy liked math and science the best of his classes at school and that both of them spoke Italian, French and Latin in addition to English. Harry would get along with his youngest sister because they both liked fashion. She would also get along with Jake and Annette because the three of them shared a similar mindset. His Mom would like her because she clearly valued loyalty, and judging by Teddy knew how to raise a child to be polite, responsible and kind. He wondered what the rest of his family would think of her, but shook himself because he doubted they would get the opportunity to meet her.

His family had historically been overprotective of him because he had no magic . If it wouldn't have been for his Mom's insistence that being non-magical didn't mean worthless when he was twelve and providing him with the means to be successful in the non-magical world he would have resented his siblings protectiveness.

Then this summer had happened. Jake needed information about magical Britain but didn't have the sources. Ike by the nature of his job and his status as a squib wouldn't be questioned as he gathered information, but Annette who was also coming to the UK would likely be watched and monitored simply because she was Jake's wife and magical. Tensions between Magical Britain and the rest of the world were just beginning to settle and in theory the educational summit had been Britain's way of trying to reassure the rest the world that things in Britain were no longer a threat to the statute of secrecy. Magical Britain hadn't been stable since World War II. Although the complete failure of relations hadn't happened until the death of then Supreme Mugwump Albus Dumbledore in 1997. There had been a month and a half in 1998 when it had seemed things might stabilize then things inside Britain had once again destabilized and aside from a small amount of international trade among the goblins and the occasional participation in international quidditch Magical Britain had effectively closed it's borders in 2001. Then in the spring of 2006 the borders had again opened but most nations had made no moves to re-establish relations. Hence the invitations being issued by Britain to educators around the globe. Jake had sent Ike in because he would be able to access magical areas and knew what intelligence that Jake needed. It was similar enough to what Ike had done during his four year stint in the U.S. Army before going to college.

Ike really liked going out with Harry and Teddy because it made a nice contrast to the stress of remaining inconspicuous while gathering information on Magical Britain.

Harry learned that Ike was seven years her senior and prior to college had served in the U.S. Army for four years. He had been engaged once but that his fiance had broken the engagement to return to a previous boyfriend. "My family was pretty livid when Colleen left me. I was actually okay with it though. She was...high maintenance. Always wanting the attention on her always wanting something. She wouldn't have fit well in my family."

Harry's tongue engaged before her brain and she asked, "What about me? Would I fit?" Then she blushed crimson as she realized what she'd said.

Ike felt completely amused at just how red Harry turned. Smiling at her he said, "I think you might." And she turned even redder. "So your turn school, jobs and past relationships."

"Okay, primary school was in Surrey, secondary was a private school in Scotland that my parents had gone to. Due to circumstance I didn't finish my final year there I worked on a major project for most of the 1997-1998 school year, which finished up in May of 1998. Six weeks later I was in an accident. I lost my best friends, one other good friend, and six months to it. When I woke up it was as if my entire world had changed. I finally got my full inheritance from my parents and I had Teddy to care for so I retreated from the world a bit. Bought my farm made some investments. I studied privately, took my tests to get my certifications. Got bored. Found a teacher to expand my education in Defense in Italy, so I spent seventeen months in intensive training in Milan. Got my certifications in that, came back to England taught for a year then started writing. Expanded the farm a bit, and my writing, but not much else.

"Relationships that's a little bit of a strange subject with me. I suppose I should preface it by saying I look more at the person than at what sex they are. First relationship in school disaster. Second relationship was better but I lost it due to the accident. I stayed away from relationships for quite a while after that. I started dating a few years ago and there's only been three that I would classify as relationships: Simone, Nick, and Gerry. If you're around long enough odds are you'll meet them because they're still friends. Simone designs some of my clothes, Nick's my broker, and Gerry is my editor at the publishing house for my novels." Mentally Harry heaved a sigh there truthful answers without saying a word about the fact she used to be a guy.

Ike found it slightly eye opening the way Harry had phrased the fact that she was bi. It was also interesting that she didn't mention college just certifications. He also mentally added a mark to the potentially magical column due to the mention of a school in Scotland and not finishing it during that year. He was only half way through the Daily Prophet's records for that year but it would argue that Harry might be a muggleborn witch. Ike expected to be getting access to really good material for his project soon as he was leaving for Hogwarts in a week and a half. He hoped to see Harry one more time before he left. So he had to asked the concierge at his hotel to make arrangements for a show and a nice dinner for two afterwards for the early part of next week.

"Harry, I'd like to take you to Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theater and dinner early next week. Just you and I; would that be possible?"

Harry thought. She looked at Teddy, he gave her an encouraging look.

"I could probably arrange something, for Tuesday."

"Great, where should we meet?"

"I'll meet you at your hotel. Where are you staying?"

"The Strand Palace."

"Pretty ritzy for a teacher."

"I did mention Michael right?"

"Your brother who manages the family finances."

"He's amazing with money."

"Okay, beside people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

"Huh?"

Harry gave another grin. Ike hadn't caught her point. She'd have to wow him the night he took her to the theater. She sighed it had been a fun day, but it was time for her and Teddy to go. She had work to do before she and Teddy headed to Hogwarts in a week and a half, and the animals were waiting.

Tuesday morning saw Harry getting a final fittings for the first true wizarding robes she had bought since Andromeda had taken her to buy her Wizengamot robe. Which today translated to Harry being fitted for robes so she could look the part of gracious hostess along side Headmistress McGonagall. Harry though had different ideas she fully intended to show that she was a half blood and proud of it.

"Simone, are you sure this robe is a good idea." Harry was presently wearing a gown that was intended for the opening evening of the symposium. She sighed.

Simone had designed and made all of Harry's dresses for the evenings during the summit. She had also made the clothes Harry planned to wear while doing the defense presentation and also the book signing Kevin begged her for. Some designers might have resented having to come up with so many original designs in only a couple months but not Simone. Gladrags had been destroyed during the war. It wasn't until Simone came from France to escape a marriage contract and had met Harry, that there was someone to fill the gap in the magical clothing market for modern hip wizarding wear influenced by muggle fashion. Harry had invested in her friend's dream and Fouchard's had been born. It had been an almost instant success. Simone was hoping that by designing Harry's clothes for the symposium she could expand her market.

It was funny to those who knew. Harry, who was barred from Gringotts, was actually an investor and silent partner in the three biggest success stories in the British Wizarding economy.

Simone had gone all out in designing Harry's wardrobe. She knew that Harry wearing her designs at the summit would make a good statement to the world about her fashions. It would also rub it in the face of her traditionalist parents that lesbian or not Simone didn't need her family to be a success. She had used elements of fashions from all around the world so that delegates from different nations would at some point feel that Harry was reaching out to them personally via her clothes the two exceptions were the opening night and the night of the closing ball which also happened to be Harry's birthday.

" 'arry, cherie, zis robe is fantasquie." Simone smiled as Harry gave a small tug at the neckline. The robe was simple. The under layer was a gold lame and Gryffindor red sateen plaid with the occasional stripe if green or black with a low sweetheart neckline and narrow shoulder straps that ended at the floor. The top layer was black velvet with long sleeves and a portrait collar that plunged with a wide deep vee to the waist where it buttoned with ten small gold and crystal buttons. Before cutting away with a scalloped edge that was emphasized by gold thread and small crystals laid on the velvet like lace that ended about level with Harry's knees. The robe was dark and dramatic but it was trademark Simone for Harry. Something that while it could pass for wizarding could also pass for muggle formalwear. "You should wear zee Black dower rubies with zis."

"Simone what if I mess this up?"

" 'Arry, trust me you can do this. I know it is 'ard for you. But those of us 'ere in Britain trust you. You 'ave never let us down. You just need to trust yourself. Now for zee next robe..."

Finally they were on the last robe. Simone eyed the way the sea blue and emerald thread of the silk shantung shimmered first one the the other as Harry breathed. She snickered as Harry tugged futilely at the neckline trying to bring it higher. The strapless neckline was actually quite high. "It won't budge you know now time for zee next layer."

Harry tugged at the neckline once more. talk about dresses that made her feel like a princess. Unfortunately it wasn't a sensation she liked. She much preferred the jeans and sweaters she wore around the farm. This dress' bodice hugged her from her armpits to just below her waist before belling out into a full ball gown in fact if she ever needed one in the muggle world this dress would do nicely. Harry knew these robes were necessary but she already was cringing wondering how many passes she'd have to fend off at the symposium. She also knew she'd have to interact with others, not just hide in a corner seeing as how in addition to being the symposiums speaker on DADA she was the formal representative of the British MOM. At least she'd be seeing Neville and Hannah and possibly even Susan. Neville had taken over for Sprout when she'd retired. Harry came back to the current moment when Simone nudged her. The over robe on this gown was sheer silk chiffon that was woven of arcomantula silk like the shantung it had two colors: deep green and royal blue. It however also had mystical patterns done in silvery white thread, seed pearls and crystals from the floor up to the middle of Harry's thighs. It had a deep scooped neckline that came together below her breasts with pearl buttons and a silver girdle going to the top of the basque waist of the underdress. She would be wearing the Emeralds from the Black dowery with this dress. Part of her wished Ike could see her in this dress.

That thought brought a blush to her cheeks.

""What is zis? 'Arry blushing? You are 'olding back secrets, mon amie. Spill."

"I met someone." Harry said her blush deepening.

"I assume male. Quelle tragique zat you decided you were straight, ma fille."

"Sometimes, Simone, I worry about you."

"We're not discussing moi, we're discussing toi. Details."

"He's an American. I met him when Teddy and I visited Stonehenge. Teddy tripped, bumped me and I fell on him. He was nice but I thought I'm not likely to see him again so nothing, right? Then the day that Teddy and I toured the Tower of London he's on the same tour and we went to Camden market together afterwards. Then a week later we meet up again to tour Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's. He asked me to go to the theater tonight just me and him. Teddy was wanting to stay with Molly and Arthur for a couple days and has been begging for weeks so I finally gave in. But now I don't know what to wear tonight, and there are just so many things right now that I should be thinking about that are more important ..."

Simone smiled one of Harry's most endearing, but at the same time frustrating traits was her tendency to put her own desires last. It was a trait most of her friends had tried for years to nudge out of her. It wasn't that she was a carpet for the world to walk on she had ceased to be the world's whipping boy many years before, but she seldom put herself first. "When are you supposed to meet 'im?"

"At seven."

"Bon. Zen we 'ave plenty of time ."

"Time for what?"

"To make you breathtaking cherie."

Harry nodded, she wanted to be breathtaking. "Can you find something appropriate for going to the theater in my closet, Simone?" Harry was glad she had arranged for the extra help on the farm for the rest of the summer. Thomas, whom she'd hired the year she taught, was supervising the four village teens she'd hired. It meant she didn't have to focus much on the farm this month. After glancing at the clock she went for a shower. After putting on her lingerie she did her makeup.

Simone went through Harry's closet and found a simple silk jersey columnar style dress robe in ice blue that she had designed for a ministry function two years ago. The she went to the jewelry chest. "'arry, I wish to find jewelry." She called. A moment later the lock that only Harry could open clicked. Simone felt the trickle of admiration she always felt when Harry did magic. To fill in the vee neckline of the dress she pulled a necklace and earrings of black pearls from Harry's dowery jewels and the hair combs that were a part of the set.

Together they twisted Harry's mane into an elegant upswept hairdo with a few trailing curls over her nape and shoulders. Last they took a pair of opera gloves and charmed them gunmetal gray to match the pearls, Harry looked in the mirror. 'Perfect' she thought. She grabbed a lace shawl in case it was chilly later then apparated to on of the approved Ministry apparation point near the Strand Palace in London.

Meanwhile Ike was nervously tying his bow tie on his tuxedo. He had picked up a rose at the florist's that afternoon that had white petals that changed to red. He was telling himself to calm down when his room phone rang. He had engaged one of the horse drawn coaches of London to take them to the theater it was waiting. He looked at the clock it was five of seven. After making sure he had his wallet, the tickets and his room key he headed to the lobby. He was exiting the elevator just as Harry entered the lobby. His breath caught he really couldn't fathom how he'd been lucky enough to catch the attention of such a beautiful woman. He swiftly moved to her side "Harry."

"Ike." Harry smiled as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"You look beautiful." His gaze ran over her again. "This is for you."

She smiled as he handed her the rose.

"I've engaged a carriage to take us to the theater. The show starts in thirty minutes are you ready?"

Harry nodded, it seemed Ike was going all out to impress her. It was nice that he wanted to, but she still had just enough guy in her thinking that although she liked the courtship trappings she didn't need them. She really wished she could take him to a Puddlemere United match or something less formal. She wished she could introduce him to herself as she was in everyday life but to do that she'd have to tell him about magic.

They enjoyed a nice leisurely carriage ride to the theater going past the London Eye. Harry thoroughly enjoyed her first experience of live theater and really appreciated the story. She liked the song "Defying Gravity" the best. It reminded her of how she had felt countless times during her Hogwarts years. After the show he took her to a late supper at The Promenade at the Dorchester. Then once more in a carriage they were going on a late night drive.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ike."

"Did you like tonight?"

"Yes, Ike. But you know I don't really need all of this."

"I just wanted-"

"To impress me, I know. But truth be told, Ike, while the trappings were nice, I find you very impressive all on your own."

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ike."

"May I kiss you?"

Harry's smile widened, "Yes Ike."

Twenty minutes later the carriage came to a halt in front of the Strand Palace. The driver cleared his throat, bringing them back to themselves. Harry allowed Ike to exit the carriage first then followed him. "I've had a good time tonight, Ike."

"How are you getting home?"

"I parked my car in a lot a block from here. It's well lit all the way there. I'll be fine. I know defense and all."

"Are you sure? I could walk you there; make sure you stay safe and all."

"That's sweet but I'll be fine. Good night."

"Will I see you again?"

"Your conference starts Friday right? And you'll be back here a fortnight later right?"

" Saturday after, yes."

"Then I think you can count on me seeing you again. Sunday August 2nd at noon. I'll bring a picnic."

"It's a date. Bye Harry." he watched as she walked out of sight.

Harry walked to the Ministry apparation point.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

A/N: Gotta laugh at flamers and homophobes. A lot of people are almost always looking at labels and are so busy judging others they fail to see they're labeling themselves as bigots and idiots. I would hope most of my readers get that this story is about the emotions of love. Which are the same whether your gay or straight, I am not a homophobe and refuse to act like one. I have no plans to include graphic sex in fact the furthest I will go will probably be the mention that oh by the way Harry and Ike had sex. Which I feel is in line with the rating. People who are attracted have sex, and they do not always do straight line intercourse, if you have a problem with that you really should get therapy.

Do I have problems writing without grammar issues? Sometimes, as I have said before I'm dyslexic punctuation isn't my strong suit. But in response to flamers I say DONT LIKE, DON'T READ ! Don't waste my valuable writing time trying to persuade me that I should listen to your pathetic point of view. Constructive criticisms are accepted. The rest? Well everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it leaves them displaying their _in the breeze. (I'll let my readers fill in the blank to their own liking.) For everyone else thanks for the great reviews.

Harry Potter Witch

Chapter 3

As Harry walked to the apparition point she reflected. One of the laws to ease things with non-magicals that had been put in place was that wizards were discouraged from apparating where ever they wanted when going into the muggle world. The compromise resulted in the British MOM purchasing several parking garages in various places in Britain that had a disillusioned level that was for appartion or and broomstick storage. Other levels of the garages were let by the hour, day, week, or month to muggles and the proceeds being used to pay taxes and maintain the properties.

Wizards were now encouraged to learn flying and fifth years were encouraged to learn the disillusionment spell now so if they were flying on their brooms they wouldn't be spotted. It, plus the fact that muggle studies taught using books from both worlds by a muggleborn was required for all purebloods, was pulling magical Britain into a modern age. Of course the changes weren't all one sided. Magical children were now tagged by the ministry before leaving the hospital at birth at the first incident of accidental magic the families were contacted. Secrecy spells were set. The families could tell no one who didn't already know. They were asked point blank if they felt they could handle a magical child. If they did not or if after explanations they thought magic was evil the child was taken from the home and placed with a magical family looking to adopt. The birth family had their memories of the explanation wiped, and a golem was placed with the family with a tragic accident was staged at some point in the next week, eliminating holes in the fabric of muggle society with no one the wiser. If they did feel able they were matched with a wizarding family that was available for support in the event of accidental magic and early education on the traditions of wizarding life. Each shire in England was getting a cottage school certified by both governments for all magical children within the shire that began at age five with transportation supplied by portkey. Thus ensuring all magical children were prepared to arrive at Hogwarts at about the same level of readiness. Teddy thought it massively unfair that he was one year too old for the cottage school.

Harry was proud of her role in the changes, but frequently got tired when she was expected to be an expert on issues she knew nothing about. She did the only thing she could do when that happened flew by the seat of her pants to stall until she could get a real expert in to answer. She suspected she would be doing lots of that the next two weeks, with a sigh she apparated home.

Thursday was chaotic as she and Teddy packed for their trip. Finally at four they flooed to the headmistresses office. Minerva greeted Harry with a hug and Teddy with a handshake.

"So Minerva are the speakers all here?"

"No, they arrive via portkey tomorrow morning. The rest of the delegates arrive via the Hogwarts Express tomorrow late afternoon. I think Hogwarts is as ready as she can be, but to be frank I'm nervous Harry."

"Relax, Minerva, I reckon that about a third of the delegates aren't actual teachers rather they're agents of various governments trying to suss out the state of things here in Britain. Which was part of the reason Jewel wants me here. My name still carries tremendous weight abroad, and as a member of the current government I know how to smooth feathers."

Minerva smirked, "When you're not ruffling them."

"I only do that when people are being stupid. I solemnly swear not to provoke duels in the Great Hall while I'm here."

Teddy remembering one of Harry's stories of her schooldays smirked and said, "She'll limit it to the Trophy room."

Minerva laughed as Harry muttered, "Traitor."

"Mitford." The Headmistress called. An elf popped in. "Could you escort Miss Potter and her son to their rooms. Dinner, Harry, is in an hour."

"We'll be there." They followed the elf out of the office.

"Miss Potter we have placed you and your son in the Governor's suite near Gryffindor Tower, and my spouse, Tafty, is going to be at your disposal during the conference to watch your son, and the Serfit is at your disposal for anything else."

"I thank you and your wife, and I'm sure you elves have done and will continue to do a fabulous job when the delegates are here."

An hour later Harry's friends smiled as she sauntered the Great Hall. True to form she was wearing slightly baggy jeans, trainers, a baggy black T-shirt that she had tied into a knot on her right hip, and a ponytail. Teddy wore something similar and walked a little ahead of her.

Neville snickered as he read the saying on the T-shirt, "He who hesitates is lunch.- Charles Darwin. Planing on eating someone Harry?"

"No, but I don't intend to be anyone else's lunch either, Nev."

Minerva trailed in behind Harry. "Harry, surely you have something more reputable to wear?"

"Yeah, I've got 14 perfectly lovely and appropriate robes that Simone assures me are exactly what is required for the conference, and that's not counting the other ten that are for during the day. But gees, guys, give me a break. Tonight's my last night to be truly comfortable for a fortnight."

"I suppose I will let it slide for tonight Miss Potter. But if you dress inappropriately before the delegates, I'll be forced to take points." Minerva said with twitching lips.

At that moment two very large figures entered the Great Hall. Harry hadn't seen Hagrid since she had stopped at Beauxbatons following gaining her mastery, but they had corresponded regularly. She flew towards him and gave him a hug barely reaching half way around him. "Hagrid, I thought you weren't getting here until tomorrow!"

"Harry, it's great ter see yeh! The Headmistress invited Maxime and I a day early so we'd have a chance ter visit."

"This is great! Teddy, I want you to meet Rebeus Hagrid."

"Teddy Lupin, I knew yer father and a finer man couldn't be found."

"Hagrid , Maxime, I'm glad you both could make it. Come on I want to get introductions over with. Everyone these are Olympe Maxime. I'm sure most of you remember Rebeus Hagrid, and Harry Potter and last is Harry's godson and ward Teddy Lupin. They will be staying with us and Harry will be co-hostess during the symposium.

"Harry, Hagrid and Madame Maxime I'd like to introduce the current staff of Hogwarts and their Spouses. Head of Hufflepuff House and incoming student coordinator is Hannah Longbottom. Head of Gryffindor and Senior Professor of Herbology is Neville Longbottom. With them is the third member of their triad Susan Longbottom-Bones also of the DMLE she'll be staying during the symposium as castle security coordinator. Heather Tarrant is the Junior Herbolgy Professor. Elisheba MacIntrye is the professor of Humanities, Kyle Wenlock is the professor of Junior Arithmancy Professor, Roslyn Runcorn-Higgs is the Senior Arithmancy Professor and the Head of Ravenclaw, her husband is Terrance Higgs. Terry Boot is Junior Transfiguration and Maven O'Brien is Senior Transfiguration. Justin Finch-Fletchly is the Muggle Studies Professor with him is his wife Marisol Mendoza Flinch-Fletchly who teaches the incoming muggleborn Wizarding Culture and Ways class. Preston Burke is Senior Professor of Charms and Head of Slytherin House. Janet Fieber is the Junior Charms instructor. Les Rosier is Senior Potions Professor, his wife Sylvia is the Junior Professor of Potions. Bathsheba Babbling Professor of Ancient Runes, Charlie Weasley Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Robert Frobisher and Joshua Tempus are our History Professors. Sagitarius MacMillian who is Professor of Astronomy and his wife Casseopia is the school nurse. Firenze is Professor of Divination together with Sybil Trelawney. Rolanda Hooch the flying instructor and returning Professor Joshua McGonagall Defense against the Dark Arts. Irma Pince and her apprentice Hortense Glasse are the librarians. Last but not least are Tobias Deerborn Groundskeeper and Margarite Hammond castle caretaker or chatelaine as she prefers. Now I believe the elves are ready to serve so shall we be seated."

Harry sat between Joshua and Hagrid with Teddy next to her. It amused her that after dinner the group took to swapping chairs as they all conversed with one another. Harry didn't really talk to anyone she hadn't met before, she was too busy catching up with friends she hadn't seen for a while. It was only when Harry noticed that Teddy's yawns were about to split his head that she called it a night.

The next morning Harry, Teddy and Minerva had an early breakfast. Then Minerva gave Harry a tour highlighting the changes in the castle, since Harry would be expected to guide several such tours during the symposium.

"Well, I'm actually in the process of finding a professor to take over from Rolanda who can also guide an non wizarding sports program as well. I have learned far more than I thought there was to know about children and education when I was meeting with the Muggles to set up the cottage schools. It was enlightening and has carried over into many areas here at Hogwarts."

"I noticed that there are more teachers now." Harry commented.

"Well, I never minded the workload that Albus placed on me, but when it came time to replace Pomona and Filius one of the issues I found most potential teachers had was the workload. They wanted time for a life in addition to being teachers. So by splitting the levels I was able to get highly qualified teachers. In the last two years I found that the students were doing better and were less inclined to make trouble because the teachers had the time to give them more attention. Of course the teachers themselves are better teachers because of less stress and during the summer months Hogwarts has paid for them to take University courses on education. It has given them more tools to make them better teachers. By encouraging sports besides just quidditch we've given the children healthy outlets for aggression and energy. Arithmancy as you know is now required. Humanities is new and strongly encouraged and it will probably be another year or two before we finish transitioning, when it will be required. By having more structured activities and more required classes this last year we experienced a significant drop in student detentions. With more teachers it's been possible for there to be more club activities allowing the children more opportunities to socialize outside their houses and to develop their own talents and interests.

"We still have the Quidditch cup of course but unsportsman like conduct both during and outside of the game has become punishable by loss of points towards the cup. Nipped the Slytherins tendency to cheat in the bud. We have standardized points given to students and taken for misbehavior since all the teachers are on the same page-"

"It makes for greater consistency with the kids. I bet that really helps that way they know what to expect and makes them less likely to act out." Harry said.

"That's right where did you learn it?"

"I think it was Teddy's nursery school teacher, who first said it to me. But since I've heard it from most of his teachers including our aikido teacher and I've seen it at work, when I've helped in the classrooms."

"I have to say, Harry, of all my students over the years, I think I am proudest of you. You had so many hardships to overcome, and you've lost so much but you have the purest, kindest heart of anyone I've ever known."

Harry couldn't think what to say so she gave Minerva one armed hug around the waist.

"The last room I want to show you is the old armory we've converted it to a gymnasium. It's not large but it gives the children more space to be active."

"This is great. I will feel good about sending Teddy here when he's eleven. What do you think cub?"

"It will be great. Mum, during the symposium will I be allowed in the library? I want to look up stuff about metamorphamaguses."

"That's fine with me."

"Teddy, you're a metamorphamagus like you mother?" Minerva asked in surprise.

"Yes."

"But you always-"

"That's not me. It's Mum's glamour stone. See while I've gotten better, Mum didn't think me changing at school would be good so she made me this stone it projects the same image all the time. She adjusts it slightly every couple weeks. As result no one notices if my hair turns blue or my eyes red or if my nose goes all Cyrano de Bergerac, and I don't attract attention. Mum says I'm more coordinated than Mother was, she thinks it's because of fencing and aikido. I've gotten better than I used to be about the changes. I am aware when they happen now, unlike a couple years ago when I'd fart and change and not know it. Mum says that awareness is the first step. Next I have to learn how to consciously stop them, then she'll let me practice making conscious changes.

"Mum, you've said yes to the library but can I come in here too?"

"Yes, if Tafty goes with you, and you can come here or go down to the lake or out to the pitch. But no going anywhere alone. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well the speakers are supposed to arrive in half an hour, and I still have a few more things to do. So I'll see you in the entrance Hall."

Half an hour later Harry greeted the symposium speakers. She and Minerva had pulled out the stops to get field leaders in Astronomy, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration in to speak. Neville would be speaking on Herbology, and Harry on Defense. Minerva was addressing the issue school administration and factors to consider. Harry knew she was planning to bring up adolescent psychology (one of her new interests) as part of her speech. Justin was going to address Muggle Studies. Elisheba was going to speak on the relatively new(to magicals) field of Humanities. Harry was more focused at the moment on getting the twenty speakers to the quarters they were assigned, making sure they had a map to get around with, a schedule of events, and that they knew which elf had been assigned so they knew who to call if they needed something.

In addition to meetings about the various subjects there would be panel discussions on subjects submitted by the participants. Harry was on the panel that was discussing current Magical history of Britain Harry had planned that panel figuring that she was one of the most informed about the present state of Britain that also knew the details of the war. Percy was coming to discuss what happened after the assassination of Kingsley. They would split the questions on the new ministry. She figured that that was likely to be the best attended panel. Since many of the attendees would likely be government agents looking for intelligence. Harry thought that was quite bad enough but then the final day she had to give a presentation on defense. She didn't regard herself as being a presentation sort of teacher.

Publishers were also doing presentations on current books available for each subject and soliciting suggestions for future textbooks. They had lucked out when they sent invitations; publishers on all the continents had been happy to come.

In addition to the cocktail reception the first night, fancy dinners were set for every night. Harry envied that Teddy was getting out of attending most of them. There were a few day trips planned to sites in Britain or Scotland. The Hogwarts professors were taking turns guiding the day trips. Not all the people coming had signed up for them so there were activities planned here in the castle. Two of the largest were a charity quidditch game set for the second Saturday of the symposium, and the final night there was going to be a ball that would end with a fireworks show planned and supplied by George and Harry.

Harry was looking forward to the game. The players where a who's who of previous graduates that had turned pro. The exception had been the seekers. Harry would be up against Charlie as seeker. The teams had managed a couple of practices in the last few weeks but part of the challenge of the game was that neither team particularly knew each others moves as teammates much. Harry was actually going to miss her teams' last practice because of events of the symposium. Thankfully as seeker it wouldn't make a big difference. Harry didn't know many of the other players, but Ginny, Oliver, and Katie were both coming . Oliver would be on Charlie's side. The match had been organized Ladies versus Gents, featured Gwenog Jones in her final match, Megan McCormack and several other players. Lee would be announcing. Harry was glad that she was getting the break from playing politics by playing something she loved. Jewel would be visiting from the ministry that day. Tickets to the game had been sold at prices ranging from fifteen galleons to fifty galleons for top seats. The Symposium guests all had seats in the thirty five galleon range. Proceeds from the match were going to St. Mungo's.

The costs of the symposium were one quarter supplied by the ministry, one quarter by private donation, the rest being paid by the participants. George, Simone, and Kevin had all cheerfully donated seeing the free publicity angle and the chance to break into foreign markets.

Early that morning at London's Heathrow Airport, Ike was meeting his sister-in-law, Annette just outside of customs. They had two hours to get to King's Cross before catching the train to Hogwarts. As she came through the doors he called, "Annette."

"Ike, It's good to see you. How's your trip been?"

"Good. Really good." Ike's mind supplied him with a picture of a thoroughly kissed Harry as she'd been when they said goodnight in the late night hours Tuesday, part of him wanted to groan as his body reacted to that thought. He hadn't felt this randy since high school. "How was your trip?"

"Port-keying eastward is so much fun." She said with a small bite of sarcasm.

Suspecting that meant she didn't get to sleep last night he soothed her saying. "You'll be able to rest on the train."

"Jake sent a mirror with me and wants me to activate it for you. You know him he wants to know as much as he can about the situation before we even enter the castle."

"Alright let's head to the Underground. We'll get to the train then you can relax while I talk to Jake and tell him he's too suspicious for his own good. Everything I've seen since I got here implies the situation truly is settled."

"Okay."

Half an hour later the we're going through the barrier ay 9 ¾ at King's Cross and seeing the gleaming scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express. They found a compartment, stowed their bags, then Annette cast several privacy charms as a precaution then activated the mirror. She handed it to Ike. While he started talking to Jake she widened the bench seat added extra cushioning charms and a padded rail so she wouldn't fall then conjured a blanket and pillow then curled up on the makeshift bed.

"So, baby brother, what's the word?"

"But all appearances Magical Britain is what it has recently claimed to be. Peaceful. The public records I've been able to access indicate that the current government is seemingly a very just and egalitarian one. They've repealed a fair number of older restrictive laws on sentient creatures. They've opened up government workings to all regardless of blood. They have broken the tendency to hide the workings of their government from the people. All Wizengamot sessions are a matter of public record, aside from the normal all governments have sort of secrets. They are being transparent with their own people. Mind you that has only been the case in the last three years since Minister Townsend took office. Before that there is lots of evidence of government corruption and censorship in the newspaper. By the way I got you a subscription to The Wizarding Herald it should start next week. It's a much better source than the Daily Prophet, which these days is more like a supermarket gossip rag than anything else. The economy is okay but some goods that you might expect to see aren't available, almost no imports. A few businesses seem to be thriving, but most are just getting by."

"Hmm. Well that's good I guess."

"Not what you were expecting?"

"Well eleven years ago the man who was basically a de facto dictator in England for forty years died at the hand of a dark lord. Within a few months the government fell to said Dark Lord. All our sources dried up. Seven months later the dark Lord supposedly died and the people responsible were supposedly taking over but two months later there was no further reliable contact up until twenty months ago. As you know we magicals tend to be rather secretive-"

"You mean unless forced otherwise magicals prefer to live in a box." Ike smirked as his brother grumbled. "Hey you were saying it, not me."

"Well Albus Dumbledore had a global view for magicals but preferred to live in the last century not the current one. He influenced a lot of others to have the same mindset, both there in England and abroad."

"Well even in Diagon Alley I was pretty limited by what I could find out. The public Reading room was mostly limited to papers dating back to when the current Ministry took office and the Daily Gossip Rag. Apparently the previous Minister was ineffective as hell and covered it up with tactics of suppression and censorship. I'm hoping the Hogwarts library will be more helpful."

"Ike, keep an eye on Annette, she's expecting again."

Ike glanced at his sister-in-law to his surprise she was asleep."Is that why she's currently sacked out?"

"That plus the no sleep in relation to the timing of the port-keys."

"I'll do my best, but despite my background with the Army, I'm going to be slightly limited on what I can do given what I'm up against."

"Michael wanted me to ask about some charges on your debit card he wanted to know if he should challenge them. What are you up to baby brother? Two tickets at the Apollo Victoria Theater, Westway Carriage Horses, the Promenade..."

"I met someone all right. I pulled out the stops hoping to impress her with a romantic date."

"Ike, if you had to do that she's probably a gold digger -"

"No. I wanted to do that. She didn't ask, and truthfully it didn't impress her the way I hoped. I very much doubt Harry is a gold digger. She's published three novels and she showed up for our theater date wearing black pearls. So you can relax on that score."

"Still you need to think carefully about this. If you go after her, it means distancing yourself from the family-"

"Jake, relax would you. I thought about that for all of two hours, well maybe a little longer than that. The second time we met, her son spoke to me, kind of half threatened, the he didn't want me to hurt his mom kind of thing. He's magical. I almost think Harry might be a witch, but I've never seen her do anything, and I've never met any magical that was that self disciplined. But it doesn't matter to me if she's magical or not, I think I love her. If I had to chose today who to marry out of every girl or woman I've ever dated I would chose Harry."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Jake blew out a deep sigh. "Alright I'll give mom and dad a heads up that you've met someone you want to get serious with. But for now, baby brother, can you focus on finding out what I asked you to? And watch yourselves I do not want to explain to Uncle Marius or the folks how I sent you into a situation that got you two hurt, or worse killed."

"Jake, I know it's part of the job but has anyone ever told you you're paranoid? Cause I think you're crossing the line into seriously paranoid. I haven't seen one thing that makes me think this whole symposium thing is a trap. And while there's some auror presence in Diagon Alley it's no more than what you'd see at Beacon's Alley in Salem of Trudeau's Alley in San Francisco. But I still promise to keep alert and keep an eye on Annette."

Symposium guests arrived, some arrived by coach the rest by boat. Harry was greeting the guests arriving by boat, handing them maps that would allow them to navigate the halls of Hogwarts to their rooms, the Great Hall and to the meetings they were scheduled for. Harry had done the spell work for all the maps. She also had the Marauder's map with her so if anyone got lost they would be able to find them. Finally boats stopped arriving and stage one was done. Harry headed to her rooms to change for dinner.

Ike looked around in amusement. There had been a mix up regarding rooms. When the organizers had seen that he and Annette were from the same school and had the same name they assumed that they were married rather than Annette being his sister-in-law, so he was now being housed in the overflow, Gryffindor Tower. The house elves of the castle had outdone themselves even though the tower had dormitory style rooms the elves had erected temporary barriers that allowed both privacy and security within the dorms. He shared the fourth floor dorm with two other participants, but other than having to share the bathroom it was almost as private as the room Annette occupied and it beat the army barracks he'd spent four years in hands down. He changed into his dress robes and headed back to collect Annette, the cocktail reception was supposed to start in twenty minutes.

Harry felt like her face was about to crack. For the last hour she and Minerva had been making the rounds and greeting the guests. She'd already fended off six verbal passes and she dreaded the later half of the evening when alcohol lowered the inhibitions of those men. Of course the whole, men making passes, caused a certain amount of mixed feelings. As a woman she was torn between being flattered and mortally offended, but that part of her that was still a guy found too much amusement in the weak and pathetic nature of those men not to laugh a bit in the face of their lack of control. She and Minerva were just shifting from the group from Japanese schools to the last group of Americans, mentally thanking Merlin they would be the last. Then she heard an astonished "Harry?" and looked into the one face she had never expected to see at Hogwarts.

"Ike?"

"I knew there was something magical happening when we met, but I never knew you were magical!"

Harry groaned at his pun. It was times like this that he reminded her of Sirius the most. But remembering what she was here for she played her role.

She wasn't the only one who groaned the woman next to Ike smacked his shoulder.

"Well, I know Ike, but I have yet to meet the rest of you."

She greeted the ten men and women saving Ike and the woman next to him for last. She quelled a brief flare of jealousy and introduced Minerva to Ike. "Minerva McGonagall, my I present Ike Iverson. We met earlier this summer when I was taking Teddy on tours for his birthday. I'm afraid I don't know his companion however."

Annette who had read the astonished delight that had come to her brother-in-law's face at the sight of the beautiful witch in the black, gold and plaid robe/gown, was quick to step forward. "I'm Annette Iverson, Ike's sister-in -law. You are?"

"Harry Potter."

"Harry is that short for Harriet?"

"No, it's just Harry."

Minerva stepped forward, "Well it's very nice to meet you both, I'm so glad you came. Now, I need to go call everyone to dinner or we'll be behind schedule and the elves will never forgive me."

"I should go too. Where are your rooms, Ike? So we can talk later."

"I'm up in Gryffindor Tower."

"I'll come find you after dinner and walk you up." Harry said before following Minerva to the head table.

Minerva got to her seat and cast a_ sonorus_ on herself. "Welcome to all of our guests thank you for coming to this Education summit. I would like at this time to encourage all of you to find a table so we may eat and following Hogwarts tradition further comments will be made after dinner."

Over dinner Harry found herself being interrogated by Minerva about Mr. Iverson. When dinner came to an end Harry's relief didn't last long. Minerva gave her opening address where she explained how the symposium came to be and the goals it hoped to accomplish. She introduced the sponsors, the speakers, the organizers, and finally the people that where serving as hospitality organizers for the symposium. Harry felt embarrassed that she was standing for each group.

Ike was stunned to realize that the woman he'd spent so much time with was one of the people was responsible for the symposium. He also realized that he wouldn't get much time with her here. She would undoubtably be busy most of the time. He really wondered if she was as outstanding in everything she did and magic as she seemed. It kindled the feelings of inferiority he sometimes felt around magicals. He shoved those feelings aside, after all Harry hadn't realized he knew about magic but she'd still dated him. He wondered if Teddy was in the castle and if he was, what the young boy was doing.

Annette was amused watching her brother-in-law. Ike tended to be cautious around women. He seldom dated, because muggle women couldn't be told about magic and the Iversons were a close knit clan. Witches as a rule didn't consider squibs as marriageable material, Colleen had actually been after the connections the Iversons offered when she had dated Ike. Jake had found proof and the family had confronted her and she had gracefully left leaving Ike unaware of the family's intervention. But this was different. Judging by the rubies hanging around the woman's neck she didn't need Iverson money. She had dated Ike assuming he didn't know about magic so that lack must not bother her, and judging by her involvement in the organization of the symposium she had plenty of connections of her own. Ike was clearly enchanted. 'This will be amusing,' she thought.

It wound up being less amusing than she thought, mainly because Harry was too busy to spend much time at all with them. Annette really had to hand it to the organizers. They had managed to bring modern educational theory into the magical classroom something relatively few magical schools tried to do, during the general sessions which were offered at least once every day then they had breakout sessions according to specialty. Those varied, some were presentations by publishers, some were demonstrations, some were panel discussions led by three or four experts. Annette was surprised at how much she saw Harry, she was also surprised by the younger woman's somewhat unconventional robes. She picked up copies of the defense books Harry had written and spent several of her free afternoons reading them. She was completely impressed.

Ike enjoyed the general sessions they reminded him of the lectures he'd gotten in college about educational theory. He smiled because he knew that for many of the magicals in the audience this was brand new. At most traditional magic schools teachers were chosen due to mastery of a magical field rather than for their knowledge of how to pass on the principles of their field to a student. That the founding school of European magic was advocating such a change was both amazing and wonderful. Ike was a teacher first and foremost. That the Iverson School For The Gifted had actually been using techniques being talked about and advocated in this symposium was very gratifying.

Ike didn't get to spend time with Harry. She was unfortunately very busy. So he spent his free time in the Hogwarts library pouring over old newspapers trying to figure out the history of Great Britain for the last thirty years. He found many discrepancies in the Daily Prophet. But there were several names he found over and over again. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Corneilus Fudge, Harry James Potter, and You-Know-Who. He also ran into Teddy in the library several times. He frequently felt confused because the papers all referred to Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived but the Harry Potter he knew was a beautiful woman not a male. He wondered if there was another Harry Potter as he read through the news stories about the fall of the British Ministry to the Dark Lord following the murder of Albus Dumbledore, then the hunt for Harry Potter, the the accounts of the Battle of Hogwarts, the induction of a new Ministry led by Kingsley Shacklebolt that fell while still in its infancy due to assassination. His confusion lasted until late Friday he saw the headline "Savior's Survival Comes at an Unimagined Cost" when the Daily Prophet released the information that their savior Harry James Potter voted bachelor of the year five times had been changed from a he to a she. He was stunned and decided he had done enough research for Jake for a day or two.

Saturday rolled around and Ike and Annette, like most the castle's occupant's made their way out to the quidditch pitch.

"Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the first of what we hope will become an annual event. My name is Lee Jordan and it is my pleasure to take a break from my regular job of announcing the news on WWN and come back to my roots and announce for this great event. We have a sold out crowd and I'm sure you all appreciate that today's event raised 20,000 galleons for St. Mungo's Spell Damage Research Section." Cheers ran through the crowd. Lee continued, "We have several notables in the crowd with us including the British Minister for Magic, Jewel Townsend, and the recently appointed Chief Witch Augusta Longbottom. Also Attending this match are the Weird Sisters, and business mogul George Weasley and his beautiful expecting wife Angelina. Bet the two of them wish they were down gearing up with their friends and siblings. We also have several members of the Press and the publishing mogul Kevin Entwhistle.

"Now as it looks like we just have a couple stragglers finding their seats, I'll introduce today's line up of players starting with the Ladies. All our players today got their start playing on this pitch; it's fitting that the captain of our ladies team is finishing her distinguished career on this pitch. The retiring captain of the Holyhead Harpies Gwenog Jones. She's joined today by teammate Ginny Weasley-Thomas. For the final chaser of the Ladies lineup we have the lovely Katie Bell of the Kenmare Kestrals. Keeper is Megan McCormack of the Pride of Portree. The Ladies Beaters are Josephine Graves and Rachel Bullstrode both of the Caerphilly Catapults. The final Lady of the lineup doesn't play professionally though she certainly could have if she weren't so busy being a leader. Her claim to fame is that she was the youngest seeker in a century during her tenure as a student here at Hogwarts and only lost the snitch once in all the games she played. Given Dementors were attacking that game I think there were extenuating circumstances. The Ladies Seeker is Harry Potter. Now out of fairness it was agreed that the Gentlemen would also have a seeker who didn't go professional although like Harry he certainly could have. Charlie Weasley also led his team to several undefeated seasons in his tenure as Gryffindor seeker. The Gentlemen's keeper is Oliver Wood who plays for Puddlemere United. He's joined by teammate James Dunshill as Chaser, Aladair Maddock of the Montrose Magpies and the Tutshill Tornados' captain Brevis Birch round out the men's chaser lineup. The men's beaters are Billy Goaston of the Ballycastle Bats and Dai Hews of the Falmouth Falcons. Hogwarts' own Rolanda Hootch is the referee and here she comes now."

All the players who had been circling the pitch landed shook hands then the game started.

"Gwenog Jones wins the toss so the ladies start. Oh that was well struck Goaston uses a Bludger to knock the quaffle away from the ladies. But Keeper McCormack successfully blocks the shot and it's back in the ladies possession. Weasley shoots and scores. Wood is shaking his head over that one Maddock passes to Birch who feints then passes to Dunshill who shoots and scores the ladies again have possession, nope Hews knocks it to the guys. Oh Bullstrode knocked Dunshill good with a bludger, possession is back with the ladies."

Possession went back and forth for a bit before the ladies again got a shot off and scored. Harry was only paying half a mind to what the other players were doing she was keeping one eye on Charlie and one eye peeled for the snitch. Charlie tried to feint her and fifteen minutes later she returned the favor they hollered friendly insults at one another when they were close enough but mostly they flew their brooms and enjoyed the opportunity to play such a high level game. Finally an hour into the game the snitch made it's first appearance. They both dove for it. It was hovering a meter above the ground near the Ladies hoops. Hews sent a bludger at Harry that she thought meant Charlie would catch the snitch but a well placed return bludger by Graves knocked Charlie sideways and allowed it to disappear again. The score by this time was 190 to 150 in favor of the men. The crowd cheered loudly as the very exciting game continued.

"Jones calls a quick Time out. She's got an elf with water bottles I see. Taking care of her team. They're back in the air. Okay the ladies are back in possession. Bell scores. But the men have the quaffle, and let me tell you they are making this very hard for the ladies. This has got to be one of the most clean games I've ever announced, only three flags so far, but it is also one of the most intense. Lots of accuracy in the bludger hits and amazing speed. Maddock scores. Both Keepers are getting a good workout here. Jones takes the lead passes to Weasley The quaffle goes to Bell as Birch and Maddock put pressure on Weasley. The ladies have – they score! The men take the quaffle. Oh, another accurate hit by Bullstrode. Quaffle is once again in the possession of the ladies. The men may be ahead but the ladies are definitely keeping the pressure on. An excellent block by Wood. Ah, I think Potter has spotted the snitch and both the seekers are after it."

Harry and Charlie were jostling shoulders trying to get just that bit ahead of the other to grab the snitch. They had first spotted it high to the right side of the pitch halfway between them. Charlie's greater weight helped him throw Harry just a little off which negated the advantage that Harry's Firebolt gave her. Now they were chasing it to the opposite side of the pitch when it decided to reverse course while dropping to the level where most game play happened. The chase just became an obstacle course as they dodged their fellow players. As the snitch came to the end of the field of play, it set off on a high speed loop around the pitch with both Seekers in hot pursuit. As they completed the loop the snitch dove down Harry and Charlie followed Harry stretched out on her broom wanting to be the one to catch it.

Ike's heart climbed into his throat. Quadpot was a much bigger sport in the US than quidditch but as he watched the game he could see the draw. It was exciting to watch. He felt his heart stop more than once while Harry was chasing the snitch. When she did a barrel roll to avoid another player he felt his throat seize up. As he watched as the seekers dive towards the ground he started to mutter "Pull up."

Harry was very aware of just how fast the ground was coming up beneath her and Charlie beside her. She knew that as the snitch approached the ground there would be a split second when it's speed would drop before it would run parallel to the ground she intended to take advantage of that second. Beside her she felt Charlie give her a glance, and couldn't help but give a little grin. Two seconds later he pulled up unwilling to risk crashing into the ground on his Nimbus 2005. Harry's Firebolt Mark IV was just a bit better. Harry reached out and grabbed the snitch in her left hand as she pulled up hard with her right. She put her feet under herself with knees bent. Coming to an almost picture perfect landing.

Charlie landed next to her shaking his head. "Ron and the twins always said you were phenomenal but I didn't realize you were that good. I should've after the dragon fourth year. Congratulations."

They both heard Lee's voice, "Well, Potter catches the snitch, leaving the score 350 to 210 Congratulations ladies! On behalf of our players, our organizers, Hogwarts and the British Ministry of Magic I would like to thank all of you for your generosity and we hope you enjoyed the game."

Annette watched as Ike carefully drew in a deep breath. She didn't think he had taken a breath since Harry had dodged another player by doing a barrel roll. She could fly a broom pretty well. She'd been on her school's quadpot team but Harry took flying to the next level and she was impressed. The more she knew about the younger witch who fascinated her brother-in-law the more she wondered about where their relationship was going.

She was feeling uncertain, like Ike, she had come to the conclusion that the symposium was exactly that a place for educators to get together and exchange ideas. Britain not only seemed settled and peaceful, it was. She like so many others at the symposium was signed up for the Modern Magical History of Britain Panel which was scheduled Monday. It was advertised as a recent history of Magical Britain. The symposium brochure had listed Harry James Potter as one of the panel experts. She like so many others had assumed that the Harry Potter listed in most of the brochure was Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived, but the only Harry she had seen so far had been Harry the witch, brilliant but still a witch. Ike at Jake's request had left her out of the loop on what things he was finding out. Jake had changed his tune about her role in this based on the facts a.) Ike judged there was no danger in doing so, and b.) Jake didn't want her stressed during her first trimester. Annette wasn't happy about it but she knew both men would do nothing to endanger her or the baby. She smiled as Ike finally seemed to collect himself.

"Exciting game wasn't it?" she asked.

"Very."

"She's a gifted flyer."

"Apparently."

"Ike, where are you going to go with this? I mean it seems like she could pick anyone, and well, I just don't want you to get your heart broken."

"I...I appreciate your sentiments. I don't really know, I mean, obviously we both kept things from each other- magic I mean. But it's not as if she and I have really been able to talk, she's been so busy. I saw Teddy this morning and he says he's only seen her for fifteen minutes at breakfast and for goodnight hugs."

"Well, maybe we'll get the chance at tonight's reception."

Harry was taking her time in the post game shower. In the last week she hadn't had five minutes to call her own. Several of the witches and wizards from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Mongolia were being a massive pain in her arse. She had dodged at least three passes everyday from various wizards who seemed to find her dark curly hair and green eyes irresistible. They annoyed her to the point of wanting to create an international incident from wanting to hex them, and the witches were almost worse out of jealousy. What exactly they were jealous of Harry wasn't sure, it wasn't like Harry wanted the attentions of those wizards. Thankfully the representatives from Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas were better, they unlike the others didn't seem incapable of entertaining themselves in fact most of them had created a notable presence in the Hogwarts library. Harry felt bad that she hadn't managed to make more time for Ike, but she barely had had time for Teddy because she was so busy putting out little political fires before they could become bonfires. It seemed like some of the representatives kept forgetting that it's generally considered rude to pick fights when you stay in some one else's castle when you're both guests. If that were not enough since that first night she hadn't been able to do more than nod in passing to Ike thanks to all the idiots who didn't bother to read the materials they had put together for the conference.

But today was supposed to be hers because Jewel and Minerva promised to do all the playing of politics necessary. Harry didn't quite believe them, but she was going to act as if she did which meant taking a few extra loops of the pitch so the other players on her team had a chance to go through the showers in private. It was ironic that despite a decade of being a woman, she still felt self conscious in a locker room of other women. She also knew that tonight's reception would mean dealing with fans because any ticket holder thirty five galleons and up would be at a post game reception where they would get to meet the players. For the pro players it was part of the job, for herself it was torture. Hopefully she could actually rope Ike into serving as an escort for the evening.

Teddy was happy because Harry had bought best seat tickets for all the Weasleys it was almost like the weekly dinners with the family. Better yet he got to come to the fancy dinner and hang out with the adults he knew well. He wasn't the only child in the crowd but most the rest had Weasley red hair , except for Victorie who had her mother's blonde hair. When he saw Ike and his sister-in-law come in he promptly collected him and introduced Ike to the closest thing to family he and Harry had.

"Ike!"

"Teddy."

"Come with me!"

Ike looked at Annette. She shrugged. They followed Teddy.

"Aunt Molly, everyone, this is Ike. He and Mum have dated."

Annette bit back a snicker at the sudden interest the rather large group turned on her brother-in-law. She wondered how this diverse group of people was related to the witch he was interested in.

Ike resisted the urge to flee as the groups attention suddenly focused on him. "Hello, I'm Ike Iverson and this is my sister-in-law Annette and you are?"

An older red-haired woman stepped forward. "Mr. Iverson, I'm Molly Weasley and matriarch of the Weasley clan. So, you're interested in our Harry?"

"A pleasure, Mrs. Weasley. And yes, you could say that." Ike almost cringed as they focused more directly on him. He noticed a protective glint in their eyes and suddenly wished he could do a shield charm. In the half an hour between that moment and the time when Harry made her appearance, Ike and Annette came to the conclusion that despite Harry not having a blood family the Weasley family and a few other people definitely took a protective interest in her. Ike had been subtly threatened by five members of the current British Ministry, a curse breaker, and to his surprise two businessmen, and a pale blond woman who said something about hunting down a crumple-horned snorkack and setting it on him if he hurt Harry or was using her in anyway.

Annette was torn between amusement and her own inclination to try and protect Ike.

Then Harry appeared wearing a aqua colored robe that reminded Ike of the sarees of India that was shot with silver threads and had large pink flowers printed on it. She immediately came over and gave Ike a kiss on the cheek which he enjoyed but it also made him nervous because the gazes of the people around them sharpened.

Teddy darted over and said, "I brought Ike over to meet everyone, Did I do good?"

Harry met Ike's gaze and noticed the slightly wary aspect in his eyes. "You did fine, Teddy." She tucked a proprietary arm into Ike's. "Sorry, I've been so busy."

"It's okay. Coordinating something like this must be a lot like trying to coordinate an Army exercise. But it's probably harder because most the participants don't follow orders."

"Yes, rather. But I'm not worrying about it tonight. Minerva and Jewel promised me they would handle things this evening."

"And this would be the Jewel Townsend Minister of Magic of Great Britain. First name basis with the Minister of Magic, Harry?"

"Yes."

"You are a puzzle. I met you and my first impression was that you were a non-magical, a farmer and a writer, and a mom. But then I come here and you're interacting with the leaders of Magical Britain and are so much more than I thought. So which is the real you?"

"I am simple. My life is anything but. In answer of your question I suppose I am both, I prefer to be the farmer and writer and mum, but I have a greater responsibility so when I have to I'm what I have to be."

"Because you were the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Defeat-the Dark-Lord." Ike watched as Harry's eyes clouded briefly.

"More like the Boy-Who-Bloody-Well- Refused-to-Die-and-Lived-to-Become-a-Woman."

"Yeah, how did that work? I mean sex change spells aren't usually permanent and sex change operations are possible but usually the the results aren't, um, this-"

"Complete?"

"Yeah."

"If I knew the answer I would tell you but I don't. My relatives always said I was a freak. Oddly it turns out they were mostly right. Healers have never managed to figure out exactly what happened. When we were poisoned, it interacted in a weird way with my screwed up body chemistry and my magic responded by overwriting some segments of my DNA, almost like a retrovirus. The changes took six months from start to finish. I only woke up when it was done. I am probably the strongest magical alive, but that doesn't matter to me. It never made me happy it just made me into an oddball and a target. By the way my magical strength isn't something I advertise so keep it under you hat, okay."

"Harry, there's something I should tell you. I don't have magic. My family is magical but I'm not."

"So? Is that supposed to matter to me?"

"It doesn't?"

"No. I prefer to live a mostly non-magical lifestyle. It spares me the attention of the magical press."

Ike stood quietly next to her as many people came towards them wanting her attention. She was quietly gracious but steered the ones with symposium questions towards Minerva McGonagall and those with political questions towards the British Minister. She talked comfortably to Molly Weasley about yarn for sweaters, and with the strange blonde who she'd introduced as Luna about creatures he'd never heard of. She'd smiled when congratulated on her catch of the snitch but unlike the other players who were working the room she tried to stay within certain groups of people. He wondered if her life in the magical world was always like this. If it was, he could understand why she'd made the choices she had.

When Harry saw Rita Skeeter coming she carefully maneuvered herself and Ike behind Percy. Rita had taken to avoiding Percy since he had won a lawsuit that turned her into a borderline pauper for misquoting him of course that same lawsuit had turned The Daily Prophet from semi respectable newspaper into an unquestioned scandal sheet and gossip rag. She knew who all the members of the press were and she did her best to avoid all of them. She would have happily just talked to Ike, Annette and her friends but she was still in public and couldn't completely escape what that meant.

Ike felt uncertain, it was a lot to handle in a very short time. Harry seemed to recognize his need to process and gave more of her attention to other people around them.

Annette who had been giving the couple their space noticed that Ike was thinking hard. At nine Harry excused herself and took Teddy off to bed. Annette had just approached Ike so they could talk when Ginny Weasley-Thomas came up to them. 'Mr. Iverson."

"Yes."

"So you're interested in Harry?"

"Yes, are you going to threaten to mutilate my manhood if I hurt Harry?"

The red head smirked, "No I figure my brothers already took care of that. I thought I could fill in a few blanks for you. I know more about Harry pre-change than just about anyone. I don't know if it was mentioned but Harry used to be a boy."

"Yeah, I'd found that out."

"We got together my fifth year and then Albus Dumbledore died and we broke up so he could go off and complete the quest that allowed him to be victorious over Tom. We had just gotten back together when my brother, his girlfriend, Harry and the then Minister of Magic were attacked. Harry went unconscious one person and woke up a different one. It must have been something like waking up in a whole new world. His best friends were dead, his girlfriend had moved on, and the changes he had gone through were unique. The magical world had given up on him, but within two days of waking up the wizarding world here in Britain knew every detail of her medical file not because it was their business but because since Harry defeated Tom the first time he has been a celebrity.

"Harry is a private person, she has never asked for or wanted her fame. She was abused as a child, not pampered as was reported and as result she has a few hang ups. My moving on while she was unconscious didn't help. So I ask that you think very carefully about your intentions before you both get too deep. The last thing she needs is another person she... She needs a person who will be there for her not someone after her for her fame or money or sex, or who will freak out about the odd things that inevitably come with being around Harry."

"I... I guess I don't really know how to respond to that. I'll keep that in mind."

Ginny left.

Ike turned Annette's mouth was open. She had just put things together. "Harry ...Harry is..is Harry James Potter, Defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort?" She wheezed.

"Awkward isn't it? Yeah, I found out yesterday about two hours before dinner. What I haven't figured out is...I think it doesn't change how I feel, but it also feels like it changes everything. I mean she's very possibly the most famous person in the magical world. What would she want with a squib like me."

"The folks are going to flip."

"Understatement."

"Uncle Marius will be-"

"Don't even go there, Annette."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. But I fairly sure it won't get settled here at the symposium. Harry is too busy for us to really talk."


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. Will Harry change her name? No. My reasoning is: Harry is in essence the same person. By not changing her name she reflects that. Sorry if it makes you have to think a minute. Hope you like the chapter. Betaed by Alix33.

Harry Potter Witch

Chapter 4

Monday of the second week of the symposium Harry configured the Room of Requirement into a lecture hall that would fit four hundred and fifty with a raised dais that would seat a panel of eight and had room for the projection pensieve that Percy would be bringing from the ministry. She kept taking deep cleansing breaths because for all the information that had been shared among the educators so far, today was really the purpose for the symposium. Today's history panel was the one event of the symposium that almost every participant had signed up for. Whether it was just so they could catch a glimpse of Harry James Potter Defeater of Voldemort, or whether they were spies for their governments,or if they were genuinely interested in history Harry couldn't really say. She and Percy would be sitting on either side of the pensieve and their memories would be the ones they would show to convince their audience that what they were being told was the truth. The Panel also contained one of Harry's healers from St. Mungo's who had Harry's permission to share portions of Harry's medical record. It also contained a goblin, Renee Castleton, who was Kevin's best reporter who had done most of the front page news during the government switch over, and the top students from Duramstrang and Beauxbatons who were pursuing History Masteries, who would serve as Moderators.

The moderators both had been given a general outline of questions that would hopefully answer the ones most governments had and after those had been gotten through they would take questions from audience. Those were the questions that concerned Harry and Percy the most. They planned to offer an oath that the information they imparted was true, but there were bound to be some questions they shouldn't or really didn't want to answer.

Percy entered. He looked about as thrilled to be here as Harry felt. He looked at her, "You ready?"

"If I say no, will it make a difference?"

"No," He wore a small grin as he set up the pensieve in its spot.

"Didn't think so. Did you bring the ministry contact information?"

"Yes, but the people acting as government spies are hardly going to step forward to get it at the end."

"We'll have the elves set it up in the room off the entry hall, they can collect it at their leisure. After all today will make it pretty clear that it's a case of you know that we know that you are more than the schoolteacher you claim to be."

"And you're convinced that this will help renew diplomatic ties."

"Yep, and when it does I want to be able to pass off some of my responsibilities at the ministry. I want my own life back. The last five months dealing with the symposium has been awful. Teddy goes to Hogwarts next year, and I want what time I have left to be with him, and not be dealing with ministry stuff all the time.'

"Are you sure you don't want the time to deal with your new beau?"

"Take that back."

"Nope." An expression of concern crossed Percy's face. "Harry, Fleur, as a part veela, can sense magic, she said he's a squib. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Harry opened her mouth to say something but couldn't think of what to say. At that moment the door opened and their fellow panelists came in, followed shortly thereafter by the first of the symposium guests.

Ike and Annette were some of the last people to enter the room on the seventh floor where today's panel was being held. Ike was somewhat amused and murmured to Annette. "What do want to bet that half the people in this room are here to do for their Governments what you and I are here to do for Jake?"

"That would be a sucker bet."

Just as they found two seats, a wizard several seats down who had been glaring at the panel as they moved up past him had stood and said, "Where is he?"

The moderator from Durmstrang said,"Who?"

"Harry James Potter the defeater of Voldemort."

Ike and Annette both looked at Harry; as did the moderator.

"I am here." Harry answered calmly.

"Does the British Ministry take those of us here as fools? You cannot be Harry James Potter you are a woman and it is known by all Harry James Potter is the BOY-who-lived!"

Harry got a semi-disgusted look one her face. " Okay," She stood and after thinking for a moment she calmly drew out a wand and assumed the pose commonly used for giving an oath. "I swear on my life and my magic that I am Harry James Potter once son now daughter of Lilly Elizabeth Evans-Potter and James Charlus Potter, also known as The Boy-Who-Lived, Triwizard Tournament champion, Destroyer or Defeater depending on your preference of the Dark Lord Voldemort who was also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, Order of Merlin First Class recipient Who due to some exceptionally odd set of circumstances survived an assassination attempt that had the consequence of transforming me from a young man into a woman." She then lit her wand. "Satisfied? Or do you wish to ask with me under veritaserum? Not that that would change my answers."

The room was quiet as Harry resumed her seat. The moderator from Beauxbatons took that as her cue and began the planned program. Two hours later they broke for lunch. After lunch they resumed. Two hours after that they finally got to the final battle and the fall of Voldemort. Even though Harry knew the memories for this part were mostly hers she found that she couldn't watch them being replayed. She stepped out of the room.

Ike was torn between admiration at the courage he was seeing, and being appalled that anyone had to go through what Harry had been through. There was also a greater sense of being disturbed regarding his interest in her. Before, the concept of Harry having been a male hadn't been real to him. He only knew her as a woman. But now that had been blown away and he was suddenly asking himself some very uncomfortable questions. That didn't even touch on the larger issue of Harry's magic versus his own lack. Despite the part of him that was thinking about his personal life, the rest of him was focused on his duty and he was taking careful notes on the history that was being presented.

Just as the fact-feeding started on the present ministry its policies. Harry slipped back into the room. Oddly most the questions that came at the end Percy was able to field. As the session came to a close Percy calmly stated, " I would like to thank all of you for your interest in this seminar. I'm sure that your increased knowledge of our history will edify both your students and your governments. As Britain has been rather isolated since 1997 we at the Ministry have put together an outreach packet. They're available in the room to the left of the entrance hall. I hope you continue to enjoy the symposium. I will be available for questions for the next two days and Harry will be here through the end of the symposium.

That evening at supper instead of symposium participants flocking to Harry they seemed to carefully skirt around her.

Harry wore a carefully bland expression, and was careful not to make much eye contact with anyone, telling herself that it was better this way, that it didn't hurt that Ike didn't seek her out. Susan came and talked with her.

"Harry?"

"Hey, Sue."

"Tough day?"

"Yeah. I mean I knew it had to be done, the transparent sharing of information about what happened at the end of the war, but now they're all scared of me."

"More the fool them. If there was ever a time to be scared of you it wasn't at the end of the war. It was when the Wizengamot tried to marry you off. I remember how white Zacharias turned when you showed Montague's mark."

Both women laughed.

"Thanks Sue. Would you mind telling Minerva I had a bit of a headache and went to lay down?"

"No, go ahead. I would suggest a potion but I know you prefer to abstain. So maybe have a cuppa."

"I'll do that. I should enjoy the distance while it lasts."

Harry returned to her quarters and had a not so quiet evening as her son was intent on sharing everything he'd learned about his talent. At ten o'clock Teddy finally wound down and she sent him off to bed. She found herself unable to relax and in the end she pulled out her father's old cloak.

She made her way through the castle to the astronomy tower. She wondered if contemplating the stars tonight would help her once again put to bed the memories of those awful times. She had heard a few of the delegates say that they were blackening the name of a respected man and they should be ashamed as he was dead and couldn't defend himself and part of her agreed. But at the same time she was the one that had been lied to and manipulated. She was the one his obsessive need to control had fixated on. She had loved and respected Albus but the final year of the war had yanked her blinders about his faults away. It had been discussed between Jewel, Percy and herself extensively before the conference whether or not to bring those faults to light. Jewel and Harry had agreed that in the end they would have to bring some of it to light so the rest of the world would see they were being genuine rather than trying to hide their faults. She really hoped that all of this was worth it. It was long past midnight before she returned to her rooms.

Ike didn't return to his room in Gryffindor tower after the dinner. After the meeting had ended he and Annette put together their report for Jake and after dinner they were giving it to him.

Annette activated the mirror. Jake's face appeared. Ike ignored their greeting of each other. Finally Annette touched his shoulder and they began the debrief.

"So what have you got for me?"

"I hope you haven't been spending long hours coming up with contingency plans for if Britain attacks. If you have it was a waste. To sum up today's meeting it was: here we are with all our warts, we know that most of you are spies not teachers and we don't care, we want to re-establish international relations, here's a brochure that gives contact information for our ministry. They came clean on the fact that Dumbledore wasn't always the nice, light, old man he claimed to be, they painted a clear picture of what all their dark lord did. They skipped over how he was able to return a bit but they showed the final battle where he was defeated using a pensieve. Actually they used one a lot. They showed the assassination of Minister Shacklebolt and the heros of the war. They were pretty clear on the actions and lack thereof of the Diggory ministry. Finally the Undersecretary gave a pretty concise report of everything the Townsend ministry has done and a list of the proposed agenda their ministry is working on at present. All of which matches up with everything I have found out."

"Alright, are you sure?"

"Fine don't believe me. Ask your wife."

"Annette?"

"I concur. The memories we were shown were very graphic proof of what happened." Annette couldn't think of what else to say. The memories that Harry Potter placed in the bowl of the final battle had been powerful and frightening. It was difficult for her to reconcile the violent images with the gentle and unassuming person she had met. She didn't think she was the only one who had had that difficulty. Most of the participants had steered around the young witch at dinner rather than flock to her as they had the previous night.

"Alright I'll brief the council. Thank you, Ike. Annette when you return bring the contact information and plan on sharing your memories. See you Sunday, the kids miss you as do I."

She nodded. Then they closed off the mirror. She looked at Ike. "You okay?"

"It wasn't real to me."

"What wasn't?"

"The fact that Harry used to be a man. That Harry is probably the most powerful magic user I've ever met."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He thought about it all the way back to his room and far into the night.

The next day Harry decided that there were some advantages to sharing her memories. Now instead of being mobbed, she was merely being stared at. She followed her planned schedule for the day, knowing from past experience things would inevitably blow over. She looked for Ike but with over a thousand people in the castle it was easy to miss him. She could have pulled out the map to look for him, but she didn't because she was afraid, afraid of his reaction. It was times like these that she missed Ron and Hermione the most. Ron would be pulling her to play chess or practice their quidditch moves. Hermione would have suggested finding some new magic to study. She missed Andromeda too, the older witch would have listened as she poured out her grief and uncertainty, then forced her to process her own emotions, then had her chart a course of actions.

Harry was startled out of her introspection, when a pair of familiar, slender arms wrapped around her waist and a light brown head fell against her breastbone. "Teddy?"

"I thought you should have a hug. You have the look you get when you're missing someone who died."

Harry blinked back the tears that came to her eyes. "Thank you, you always know exactly what I need, and you're right I was missing them."

"What are you doing today?"

"Kevin roped me into book signings today."

"Tell him no more than an hour and a half then come swimming in the lake with me."

"Okay, we go swimming after lunch." Harry said. Time spent with Teddy was exactly what the doctor ordered to help her regain her equilibrium.

After lunch Ike went for a walk outside. He had taken a tour of Hogwarts and its grounds his second day at the castle so he knew his way around. Annette was taking a nap hoping her stomach would settle. They only had a few sessions this week until the Defense against Dark Arts session on Friday. Annette was really looking forward to that session. She had read all of Harry's books, and had promptly placed an order with the publisher for the Institute and started rewriting her curriculum much to Ike's amusement. He had tried to distract her with the fantasy novel Harry had written but she was too focused on the curriculum for her classes.

Ike wanted to clear his head. He respected women and their abilities, so he was confused at why a part of him felt afraid of the idea that Harry had abilities that he didn't. He had already examined the question if he was bothered that Harry had used magic to kill, and decided that didn't bother him. She had been responding to deadly force and had not been the instigator. His years as a soldier had put him in the position of having to take another's life to complete a mission so it was an accepted reality. He thought he had gotten over resenting magical abilities in others years ago...But there was just something that bothered him, maybe it was that she was obviously a very powerful witch.

Maybe it was that she had been a he. He had only ever been attracted to women, that she used to be a guy did bother him. He had thought he didn't have hang-ups about guys being together after all one of his brothers was homosexual. But the thought or rather the question of would he have been attracted to Harry had she still been a male did bother him and it made him question his perception of himself.

He was walking on a trail that skirted the lake when he heard a shriek followed by a "Teddy! I'm going to dunk you young man!"

"Gotta catch me first and we both know who's the better swimmer!" came the amused call.

He rounded a bend in the path that was behind a few gorse bushes and he saw Harry and Teddy playing in the waters of the lake. Harry's suit, while modest in terms of what it covered, also fit snugly and outlined her assets. Ike watched and as he did he analyzed himself.

Why was he attracted to Harry? She was physically attractive but not in the sense that many women were. She didn't dress to attract men. Not that she had any problems in that department. It was just something about the way she carried herself. She wasn't as his army buddies would say on the make. She had an air of honesty about her. She kept things to herself which gave her an air of mystery as well but at no point did she ever lie. He thought about the answers she had given to the school and relationship questions before she found out he knew of magic. He could see why she'd answered the way she had, and he had to admit she'd been honest, careful and leaving things out but honest.

Did any of that change because she was a powerful witch? No, not really, even though he knew she was powerful, she hadn't done much magic at all. She was the same person she had been in London. Yes, he knew more about her now including some stuff that was borderline downright impossible. But she hadn't changed he realized, it was just his perception of her had changed. Now the only issue that remained was if he willing to go forward knowing more about her.

Dinner the next evening things went mostly back to how they had been early in the symposium. It brought out a few wizards and to Harry's surprise a couple of witches, that fell into the power grasping category. Her power was now known and these eight were after her.

Thanks to the Black library Harry was aware that it was possible for a fellow magic user to harness her power via various rituals involving sex and the way these eight were trying to put the moves on her she was sure they were after power. These people were trying to seduce her, more the fool they. They were assuming that because she was young and light that she wouldn't know what they were up to, but she hadn't defeated Tom and retained her naiveté. She wasn't a defense master for nothing, every one of these eight gave her the willies.

The Great Hall had been set that there was always a small dance floor set to one side at the back and most nights it got at least a little use, this evening it was getting more than a little. Harry- in the interests of gaining diplomatic ties- had not throughout the conference turned down any requests for dances from anyone, small talk on the dance floor had usually centered on the conference or ministry policy. Because despite everything she still had to play the role of diplomat, Harry couldn't just smash these eight despite how repulsed she felt.

Ike had found a seat where he could easily see Harry most of the evening. The evenings were all mostly the same: a cocktail hour followed by a dinner followed by an hour and a half of talking, with a few people taking advantage of the small dance floor and music provided by WWN. It was amusing: you could tell who the real teachers were because inevitably they would gather together to discuss their field of expertise. But Ike and Annette were exceptions being both teacher and spy. Annette tonight was talking shop with some of the other defense teachers.

Ike had no doubt that many of the people here were spies especially after yesterday's 'history' panel. It had amused him how the Brits had said, yeah we know you're here, here's how to establish proper channels.

The spies however, all did the social chat thing, and since Harry was so connected they tended to hover around her. So he watched as people once again surrounded her trying to curry favor. Most of them were handled with the innate grace and kindness he had come to expect from observing her last week. But then he noticed that there were some that were trying to be more familiar with her than she was comfortable with. He could see it in a tenseness in her posture.

In the back of his head he could hear his best friend from the army saying, _if you know what a woman is feeling based on her posture you got it bad. _At the time Ed had been speaking of another of their squad, Damian and Shelia were still going strong and had two kids now. Ike had never believed he would get to experience a mostly normal relationship. He had dated a lot while in the army but most of those girls hadn't been the sort he would take home to meet the folks, not that he could've given all of them had been non magical. Then had come Colleen, as a witch, he had thought this could be the one, but as time passed he had grown less certain and when she had broken it off it had been a relief. Now there was Harry. His heart was screaming she's the one, but his mind and his past experience was telling him take your time and be cautious. He laughed at himself inwardly. Ed would laughing his ass off if he could see Ike now.

Ike watched as one of the men who made Harry uncomfortable led her towards the dance floor. He abruptly decided. Squib he might be, but he was first a man; he would cut in and give Harry a pleasant break from the stress she had been under. Maybe he could change the plastic smile she was currently sporting into a real one.

"Mind if I cut in?"

It was with relief that Harry moved out of Mr. Pommeroy's arms and into Ike's. Not only had the man been after her, he couldn't dance either. Mr. Pommeroy had stepped on her feet three times in less than a minute of dancing.

"Thanks for the save." Harry said.

"My pleasure. I want to apologize for being kind of distant the last few days. I just needed some time to process." Ike felt cheered as a spark that had been missing reappeared in Harry's eyes.

"Only a couple days, I'm impressed. It took me the better part of five years and a lot of therapy to process the madness that my life has been, I wouldn't have blamed you for looking elsewhere."

"Harry, I don't know where this is going, but I do know I want to explore it. I..I think my biggest problem is... Well, I'm used to being looked down on for not having magic. I fear your deciding to move on because I don't have magic and there would be no guarantee that any children we had would have magic."

"Was that a declaration of intent?" Harry asked she was sure that she was wearing a shocked but pleased expression.

"Maybe." Ike hedged. He hadn't meant to say that but it had just slipped out.

"I'd like to think it was, and I'd like to make one of my own. As magical as I am, if you'll pardon my hubris, the odds are against my children not being magical. But even if none of them have magic I would love them anyway. All children deserve to be loved just because they are children, I could never do to a child what was done to me."

"What do you mean?"

Harry tensed, "I'd rather not say, or at least not here and now."

"Alright, I'll let you off for now, but I'm holding you to our date on the second and I'll expect an explanation then.'

Harry's posture once more grew relaxed and fluid as their dance came to a close.

Over the next couple days, Harry had the sense that she was being watched. She figured out that Ike must be watching her at least part of the time. Instead of finding it creepy she found it comforting. Most of the time she was able to concentrate on what she needed to do and she only saw him when she was ill at ease with whoever she was talking to. At first she thought it was only Ike but then she felt it when they were together which had her thinking it was probably one of her overprotective friends, but found herself carrying her small store of personal weapons and asking Serfit to check on Teddy and Tafty often.

Finally Friday came and with it was the defense presentation. Harry was almost too nervous to eat. Teddy coaxed her into tea, toast, yogurt, and fruit before sending her off. As she walked to the room she was giving her presentation in Harry was kicking herself. "What was I thinking using my presentation to try to persuade defense teachers that including a physical education requirement to their class is just as important as spells and curse knowledge? I gotta be out of my tree."

Harry had always been a hands on teacher. Coming up with a three hour presentation had been exhausting. She had recruited Susan to help her with a demo to display why being fit was a good idea. She trusted Susan but the idea of facing spell fire without a wand made her jumpy. Her plan however had Harry facing stinging hexes from Susan and only dodging. She hoped she was still good at dodging spells or this would be a very short demo.

Harry faced the room of a hundred people, "Good morning, thank you for coming. As many of you know I'm Harry Potter and you are here to learn about what I think is important in defense. I don't really know how defense is taught in your schools. But my life has shown me repeatedly how vital a role being physically fit can play in defending oneself. One of the best defenses against any spell is just not to be where it expects you to be, and that goes for all spells including the unforgivables. So today I thought I would begin with a small demonstration. I'm being assisted by Susan Longbottom-Bones of the DMLE. She will be firing stinging hexes at me and without my wand I will be defending myself. After that I will be explaining the components of a fitness program and how it can be incorporated into a standard defense class. Susan."

"Good morning, as Harry mentioned I'm an auror. Today's demo will start with me firing stinging hexes at the common spell fire rate of a recent Hogwarts graduate and no Harry I'm not talking about a graduate like you."

"Good you had me worried for a second." Harry felt happy that the room's occupants laughed at Susan's joke.

"I will be increasing the number of spells I fire every minute until I'm up to my top speed. And the demo will continue until I've hit Harry five times. Ready, Harry?"

"Go for it."

Harry put all her dodging skills to work. She was pleased when Susan got up to her full speed and she had only been hit once. It took fifteen minutes and Susan was actually showing a few signs of tiredness when she finally hit Harry the fifth time. Harry was panting heavily and sweating when she called "That's five. Thanks, Susan."

Everyone gave the demo a round of applause. Harry took out her wand and cast a refreshing charm on herself to get rid of her sweat. She took a drink of water and caught her breath. "As you can see this sort of defense requires fitness. Being fit also has the benefit of increasing your endurance as a spell caster, but to get there you have to have that fitness to being with. Fitness has three components endurance, strength, and flexibility..."

Annette took notes and had to admit that Harry knew how to share information in a way that was engaging, and in the case of adding a fitness program component to a DADA curriculum very persuasive. She could see herself rewriting her curriculum yet again.

Saturday's ball that marked the culmination of the symposium was marked by the fact that many of the symposium attendees had left early, but the change in the number of people in the castle was unnoticeable due to most of Harry's magical friends who came to celebrate her birthday. They met in the Great Hall for an hour and a half before the pre-dinner cocktail hour began. Ike and Annette had been invited to join them. For Harry's friends it was this inclusion that made it very apparent that Harry cared for the American man. This cheered them immensely because many had doubted that Harry would ever form an attachment. Those that knew Harry best hoped that this relationship would develop into a lasting relationship.

Ike's first response on walking into the Great Hall was to think that Harry could give many of the world's most beautiful women a run for their money. He walked up to her, "You look beautiful. I bet the princesses of the world would be turning green with envy if they could see you."

Harry, already self-conscious in her gown, and elaborate jewelry and tiara, said, "Thanks, that's just what I want to hear." Irony dripped from her tone.

Ike blushed a little thinking how he would react if he had gotten such a compliment. "Okay I freely give you permission on our next date to rip this image to shreds. Can I say instead, Annette was most impressed by your DADA demonstration and she immediately started rewriting her curriculum a second time after your presentation yesterday."

Harry gave a laugh then said, "Thank you, that's the kind of compliment I can handle." At that point the guests insisted that she open her presents before the rest of the symposium guests arrived in the Great Hall.

The ball ran until the wee hours of the first. Harry felt relief because in about ten hours she was done, and once again free to spend time with Teddy.

"Stupefy!" "Stupefy!" "Stupefy!"

Ike heard a chorus of voices around the corner. It made him nervous because it was close to Harry's rooms. He double timed it to where he could peek around the corner. Two house elves lay on the floor unconscious and two men where working to hang onto a struggling Teddy while a third used his wand to approach and actually touch Teddy before stunning him wordlessly.

"There that's better. Now we have all the leverage we need. Put him in the trunk."

Ike pulled two of the combat knives he carried. Three to one was bad odds, but letting someone take Teddy as leverage on Harry wasn't something he was willing to let go. He attacked.

Ike stabbed one of the wizards holding Teddy in the kidneys while taking a swipe at the throat of the other. The wizard giving the orders fired of a stunner that Ike dodged. Unfortunately Ike never saw the stunners that came from further down the halls that hit him.

"What do we do with him, boss?"

"He's an Iverson. Their squib I believe. Why they didn't drown him as soon as they knew, I'll never know. But he'll be useful, if not with the Iverson clan then with Potter, bind him then throw him in the trunk as well." The black-haired American wizard looked at the two injured wizards that made up part of his strike force, losing to a squib armed or not, pathetic. He reluctantly opened the trunk to the compartment where he kept healing supplies and handed them the healing potions they would need. He then sent the strike team back into their compartment of his trunk. He cast a few spells to make it look as though nothing had happened then continued down the hall towards the farewell brunch.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

Harry Potter Witch

Chapter 5

Harry's first hint that something was wrong came from Annette asking if she'd seen Ike. Seconds after that a dazed Tafty popped next to her and said, "I sorry miss, but I is not knowing whereabouts of miss' son."

Harry's heart stopped for half a second. Then her mind jumped to various scenarios, none of them good. She frowned at the need to maintain diplomacy against the fact that someone had taken her son and possibly Ike. In the end she decided it was worth the risk. She pulled her wand. Anyone not guilty- while they might be a little offended- would understand, anyone else, well, they would do well to be quaking in their boots. She knew she'd have to do this on two levels because about a third of the participants had already left._"Expecto Patronum. _Prongs, go to Minerva and give her this message: Minerva someone has kidnapped Teddy and possibly Ike. Close the wards allow people to leave only if they cooperate with a thorough luggage search."

` A second after her patronus disappeared on that errand she created another just like it to Jewel asking for the borders to close. She eyed the group in front of her, then plunged into the international incident she knew she was creating. "Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that due to someone taking my son and a friend of mine from the United States, no one will be allowed to leave without a thorough luggage search. I realize almost everyone here had nothing to do with this, but it will be done nonetheless. I am sorry, for both the inconvenience and the implied insult. That said I would rather insult everyone than lose my son. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation."

Ike felt himself slowly return to consciousness. He could feel bindings on him. Whoever had tied him had known what they doing. The rope crossed the median line and bound his hands, feet, torso and neck. He could do nothing himself without cutting his own air supply. He looked around. Teddy was tied up across the room, but whoever had tied him hadn't done nearly as complete a job. He took stock of himself: not much in terms of damage, a little like he'd dropped ten or so feet that would match to being dropped into the trunk room he and Teddy were in. He could tell that the knives he usually carried were missing but judging by the weight against his calf they had missed the multi-tool he carried. Which meant they had probably said, "summon knives" or some such. If he could get to the tool he'd be able to cut himself free and have a weapon to use. He tested his bonds slightly, he'd need help getting to the tool. Unfortunately Teddy was still out from the point blank stunner he'd taken.

Jewel had done as asked and shut the borders but sent Ernie and a mirror to Harry so she could get more details. Annette and Susan meanwhile had joined many of Hogwarts' residents in doing a swift but thorough search of the remaining guests' luggage. Harry had made a detailed list of who had already left the castle and when so the representatives who had left before the ball were eliminated from the suspect list. She also detailed who had already had their luggage searched so they would get expedited handling at the international portkey stations. She focused on what needed to happen next because she knew if she didn't worry would overwhelm her.

Omar Rios wanted to swear. He had been counting on getting out of England before having the kidnapping discovered. His lord had originally given him orders to kill Harry Potter and all the other Americans at the symposium. That was until Omar told him about the tight security at the conference and that Harry Potter was a beautiful and powerful witch. His boss had immediately revamped his plans. He would force a bond between himself and the witch and that would give him power enough to make his plans in the United States to happen. Omar thought his boss' plan was a little crazy but he wasn't inclined to tell his boss no. Bad things happened to those who did.

Teddy woke up in a panic. He remembered Serfit and Tafty being stunned. He had dodged the stunner intended for him and he had tried to run away. But then three wizards had grabbed him; he had struggled and actually managed to kick the one that eventually stunned him where it counted but it had been for nothing. He was now their prisoner. He wanted his mum, and he knew as sure as he was breathing that Harry was working for that same goal. He needed to pull himself together, take stock and make a plan. He looked around the room. It was illuminated by a single lantern suspended on a hook from the ceiling ten feet above the floor. The door was apparently in the ceiling because there was a ladder that went up one side of the room. He continued his clockwise perusal of the room. And noticed a person who was lying on the floor on the other side. "Ike?"

"Teddy, you woke up. I'm glad. I was starting to get worried."

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I came around the corner just as they stunned you. It wasn't like I was just going to stand there and let them take you."

Teddy looked more closely at Ike and noticed the man's bonds."Can you get out of those? Use your magic?"

"Teddy, I hate to break it to you but I don't have any magic, I'm what you Brits call a squib."

"Oh." Teddy was quiet for a moment. "Well, Mum will come."

"That I don't doubt, but we were taken as leverage on her. IF these guys are smart, which I kinda doubt, but they struck me as sort of intelligent, they had a good plan to take us anyway; she'll be limited in what she can do. Our best bet is to get ourselves in a position of being able to move and negate their trap when they try to spring it on your Mum. You with me?"

Teddy gave a hesitant nod.

"Okay I'm going to need you to get something that is currently strapped to my leg. I would scoot to you, but if I do much moving I'll die. So stage one of this plan is you moving yourself over here..."

Six hours, it had been six hours since she had kissed her son's forehead to wake him. Five and a half since she'd left their quarters. Three and a half since she'd started the international incident. The borders were conditionally open again and they had narrowed the list of suspects to a dozen people. Soon they would have it down to one...

"Harry, are you sure this attack is aimed at you?"

Annette pulled Harry back to the present moment with her question. "Reasonably. Why?"

"How aware are you of Magical governments outside of Britain?"

"I know Europe fairly well, but beyond that not much at all. Why?" Harry got the eerie sensation that she wasn't going to like this discussion.

"It's possible that Ike was the target."

Harry internally swore. Then she took hold of Annette's arm, and steered her to a nearby classroom. After they entered it she warded it to a fare-thee-well, no one outside would know anything that was being said. "Spill it, tell me everything you know."

"The United States is a confederacy of seven Wizarding Councils. Each is relatively autonomous and responsible for services to their region, everything from law enforcement, to medical, to trade and education. Then there's the high council of wizards made up of one member from each council with the leader elected from the group by the group. Most of the wizarding councils are sort of like a clan structure. The Iversons are one of the clan councils. We rule over one of the largest territories encompassing seven states, and a magical population roughly the size of great Britain and France put together. Furthermore our Uncle Marius is the elected leader of the high council. My husband is in charge of security within our region and frequently is asked to do external investigations by the high council. Ike, in addition to teaching at the Iverson Institute, frequently acts as a liaison between the high council and the muggle government. While he was enlisted in the army working intelligence there was a mission that everything went badly: several people died, things were screwed up six ways from Sunday, and magic was involved. Ike pulled it out of the fire, which brought him to the attention of the joint chiefs and the President of the time. This was also around when his enlistment was supposed to be up. They found out his connection to the magical community, and instead of getting out, he got a commission as a reserve officer. Now he's technically a major whose duty is to act as magical liaison. There is currently a dark lord operating on US soil. The high council and the various confederacies are trying to work together to solve the problem but it takes time. This kidnapping might be a ploy by that person to gain power and try to influence Uncle Marius.

"I wouldn't tell you all this but for your we know many of you are spies and don't care speech during the history panel."

"So you and Ike are spies?"

"Technically we're both teachers and spies. Ike more so than me. Jake figured we would be able to get in unnoticed since we really are teachers."

"It's fine. I'm not completely surprised. So Ike might have been taken for leverage against your uncle rather than as leverage against me. That's fine and good to know, but it doesn't change things."

"What's been happening? I know you searched luggage here at Hogwarts.."

"Well the luggage search is also being done at the international portkey point. We've eliminated as suspects everyone who left before this morning and everyone that was still here has had their luggage searched. It's created delays but we're eliminating suspects as more people leave the country. Soon we'll know who we're looking for. I also expect to be contacted with demands soon, I would guess tomorrow at the earliest, because they'll want me anxious.

"I know they're not in the castle. There's no way for them to hide from me here. I want to go home and search my private library. Teddy wears a necklace that might allow me to track him but I need to go home to double-check the spell work which I cannot do until everyone from the symposium has left." Harry cast a _tempus_. "Which should be in half an hour."

"Do I need to leave?"

"No. You could pack up and come with me to my place in Somerset, if you wanted to though."

"I think I'll do that."

Annette noticed that Harry's attention was obviously divided, unlike the rest of the conference where she had always seemed one hundred percent focused on the conference. Not that she was blaming her, if one of her and Jake's kids had been kidnapped she wouldn't have been able to focus on anything else. But Harry was doing it, barely. There were frequent interruptions as either written updates or mirror calls came in. Instead of a half an hour, it was more like forty-five minutes. Then Annette listened as Harry turned and spoke to the aurors.

"Okay, Ernie, Sue, I'm headed to Potter's Haven to figure out if I can use Teddy's necklace to track him. Annette is going with me. It will take a day or maybe two, I'm no Hermione. If the kidnappers haven't contacted me by the time I get the tracking working, well let's just say they will probably end up worse than Montague."

Harry gave Minerva a hug, then headed to the floo. She looked at Annette. "You've flooed before?"

"Yes."

"The address is Potter's Haven. I'll go. Wait five minutes then follow. I need the time to reset the floo's wards." Moments later Harry stepped into the floo and was gone.

Annette wasn't sure what she was expecting as she exited the floo. She knew Harry Potter was a powerful political figure so the homey muggle book filled study struck her as being slightly anomalous.

"Welcome to Potter's Haven. The guest bedroom is up the stairs. Go left and second door on the right. I'm headed to the basement. The books I need are down there. Make yourself at home."

Harry left focused on her task.

Annette was concerned for Ike but her curious nature made her explore her surroundings a bit. Potter's Haven had a homey feel but on the scale of a small mansion. Her parents would approve. She wasn't so sure of Jake and Ike's parents. Mother and Papa Iverson tended to like a more grandiose and formal style. The upstairs housed a media room that included a TV, a blue ray DVD player, X-box and wii game systems, a computer and a stereo system that she thought was somehow wired into the house, and a large but comfortable lounge like room that housed a foosball table and a pool table. There were three bedrooms each with an attached bath. She occupied one and she thought the largest of the others was occupied by Teddy leaving one of them empty. She moved back downstairs. In addition to the study there was a large master suite, a family room, a kitchen, breakfast area and formal dining room. She poked through the kitchen and found an apple. She then noticed another door that led to a mudroom with a laundry room off it. And a set of stairs one leading up and another leading down. She followed the set leading down. The room at the base of the stairs was large but mostly bare. There was a treadmill and an exercise bike at the far end near a sliding glass door but other than two mismatched sofas and some swords hanging on the wall along with some fencer's masks there wasn't much in the room. Annette did a spell to reveal hidden doors. There were two. She checked the one on the left first. It opened onto a small but perfectly adequate potions room that included a modern chemistry lab hood. She checked the other door. This door opened onto a room rife with books. Unlike the other rooms she had seen in the house that were all spacious and comfort oriented this room was just shelf after shelf of books. The ten rows of free standing shelves and rows on the side walls of the room that looked like they were between fifteen and twenty bookcases deep reminded her of library stacks The room had the feel of being magically expanded and it was literally wall to wall books as far as she could see The shelves were from floor to ceiling and full.

"Harry?"

"Annette? Head to the center of the room. There's a table there. I'll meet you there as soon as I get the book I need."

Annette did as she was instructed and was surprised to see a half a dozen books already spread across the square table. Most the books were large but one looked more like a muggle journal than a magical book. She looked at some of the titles _Spell Weaving for Intermediate Practitioners,_ _Tracing Enchanted Items,_ _Reworking Your Work: Finding New Uses for Enchanted Items You Have Sitting Around, __Using __A __Blood Trace__._

"Yes! That's what I half remembered." Harry came out into the small area around the table carrying an open book.

"What are you thinking?"

"Teddy is a metamorphamagus. He inherited the talent from his mother. I made him a glamour stone since he attends a non-magical school in the village. That way whenever he changes no one notices. I was trying to find out if there was a way I could use that to trace him. The answer is yes, but it's going to take a bit of time and preparation. My main question is will the kidnappers contact me before I finish or not. Either way I should be able to locate Teddy and Ike's location so I'm not going in blind. Mind handing me the journal there?"

Annette handed her the book. "This collection is incredible how did you get them all?"

"Some came from my family vault, most were gifts or bequests. It's funny in a sad sort of way when people leave you their stuff when they die because you off the Dark Lord that killed their families. When I've gotten them I make sure I don't already have the book, if I do I've donated the books to Hogwarts, or St. Mungo's or the Ministry's Reading Room. I'm not the bibliophile that Hermione is but I've got a good collection."

"Who's Hermione?" Annette asked. She thought she had met most of Harry's circle of magical friends at the Ball for her birthday.

"She's.. She was my best friend and the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. She helped me defeat Voldemort and she was all set to marry my other best friend and go to Australia and track down her parents when the assassinations happened. I lost my best friends that night and pretty much the rest of my life as I knew it. Six months later I woke up and practically had to start from scratch. I miss Ron, but I think I miss Hermione more. Anyway a fifth of this collection was hers, they came to me because we were so close, and her family are muggles."

"Oh, my condolences, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"Not bad memories, just wishful thoughts." Harry sighed. "I probably should refresh my memories on the detection and spying spells. We'll need the intell."

"Can I help?"

"Yeah, most the books you're looking for will be in ," Harry spun partway around, "three rows over that way, go right five shelves down on the left side, about halfway down from the top. They came from a retired unspeakable."

"How do you know that so precisely?"

"Combination of it's my library, I've been the only person to use and put away books in here, and occlumency. Since mastering the art I've got, oh, ninety to ninety-five percent recall. I've read every book in here so I know what's here and approximately where. But I usually try to do reviews of things that I haven't used much or that are critical, or if I'm putting things together in new ways.

"Do you do much of that?"

"No. I'm not much of a spell crafter. I know the principles, but the experimentation involved scares me a little. I much prefer just running my farm and writing. Inevitably I spend two to three days a week at the Ministry. Jewel tries to keep it easy but it doesn't always work, especially the last seven months. I have an assistant who does ninety five percent of the work. Life of a public figure, I guess."

"I'll go grab those books."

A few hours later Harry pulled them away from the books they were studying to go upstairs for dinner. Harry made a quick dinner of spinach linguine with salmon, broccoli and bell peppers and pesto, a caesar salad, garlic bread, and lemon mousse with berries for dessert. After they ate Annette went upstairs to sleep. She didn't want to, but she knew if she didn't she would regret it later.

Harry went back down to the basement to read . At eleven she gathered what she would need to add a blood trace spell to Teddy's pendant from a distance. It had to be able to penetrate whatever wards and obstacles where placed around her son. She headed outside to the clearing that she liked to use on the rare occasions she did ritual magic. Blood based magic always required a ritual. Fortunately Harry already had a permit from the ministry that allowed her to work some blood magics. It was one of the benefits of having a Defense Mastery.

The spell she was doing was finicky. She had to add the blood trace to the other spells on Teddy's amulet at exactly dawn which meant she had to start casting at exactly 12:37a.m. She really wanted to get this right on the first try so she was being very careful with every detail. The last thing she wanted was to come out here and have to recast this again tomorrow.

Five hours later as the sun first peeked over the horizon, Harry released the the crafted spell to unite with the pendant. Nearly exhausted she headed into the house after banishing the remnants of the ritual and doing some cleansing spells to clear the ritual circle of the residual energy of her spell casting.

As she entered through the mud room she found Annette cooking in the kitchen.

"How did it go?"

"I think it went well, we'll know for sure in a couple hours." Harry answered the hopeful question.

"You look exhausted. I made French toast with strawberries, do you want some?"

"Yeah, I probably should eat. Casting like that takes a lot out of you. Then I think I'll shower and take a nap. I set the floo so if anyone tries to call it should chime through the house. If it does wake me. Did you tell your husband what was happening?"

"Yeah, Jake is seriously put out at the moment. He's going through diplomatic channels to get a visa so he can get over here."

"I'll mirror Jewel to expedite it, but you need to let him know that throwing his weight around in this is a bad idea. I trust the people I'm working with. I don't want someone throwing a spanner in the works."

"I'll let him know."

"This is really good." Harry said through a mouthful of French toast.

"Thanks, so was dinner last night."

After she finished her breakfast, Harry headed to her room and pulled out her mirror.

"Jewel."

A moment later the mirror activated and Harry looked at the tired face of her friend.

"Harry, if I didn't love Teddy so much I could almost strangle you. Do you have any idea how many complaints I've been fielding from ministries worldwide?"

"Yes and no. But hey, international channels are now open. That was what you wanted right?"

"Urgh. Yes." Jewel said in a disgusted tone.

"I really am sorry, Jewel. I was wondering what the latest was and hoping I could ask a favor."

"I just got in after being here way too late last night, or should I say early? And what's the favor?"

"I want you to expedite a visa and incoming portkey for Jake Iverson. This morning if possible."

"I'll put Percy on it."

"I haven't been to bed yet, and I think I got the trace spell set. I should know in a couple of hours. I'm going to try and sleep. I really would rather not get through this crisis on Pepper Up."

"You do that. One good thing in all this is at least we aren't having to fiddle with your mail wards. Anyone sending you an owl for ransom is automatically going to be shunted here. We already have aurors going through all the incoming mail. Most of it is being handed off to Dennis, but we're ready. If anything comes in, I'll let you know."

"Floo, the chime is louder and Annette is here. I probably won't wake to the buzz of my mirror."

"Got it."

Harry took a quick hot shower. Then went back out to find Annette. She found her on the back porch. "Annette, I talked to Jewel. Jake will probably have a visa and a portkey in a couple hours. Can you monitor the floo? It's in the study. Wake me if there's news or if I'm needed."

"Yeah, I can do that. Maybe I should use the opportunity to read that book Ike gave me."

Two hours later, a tall blond man with a closely trimmed beard arrived via portkey at the Heathrow International Portkey point. He was met by a red-haired man wearing glasses. "Jake Iverson?"

"Yes?"

"Percy Weasley, British Ministry of Magic. You look like your brother. I have a portkey that will take you to Harry's home. Your wife is already there and the plan is that we'll be having the update meeting there in thirty minutes."

"I..okay."

In Somerset the spell casting had wiped Harry out enough that she managed to fall asleep. However as she hit her first REM cycle she dreamed of Teddy and the battles of her teenage years and she woke herself up screaming her son's name. Shaky and sweat soaked, she rose and showered again, dressing in her customary slightly baggy jeans and a T-shirt. She exited her room pulling her hair into a messy ponytail and tucking her wand into her hair. She padded barefoot to the kitchen where she grabbed an apple and some cheese from the fridge, and some bread from the bread box to eat. She headed towards the study, food in hand, when the doorbell rang. She heard the floo chime in the study at the same moment. Putting her apple in her mouth to free a hand for the door, she first activated the protective ward she had on the door, then opened it.

Percy wasn't completely surprised by the image Harry presented as she opened the door. The _"Your village called they want their idiot back." _slogan on her large, green shirt and the very young image she presented made him bite his lips to keep from commenting. Aggressive slogans usually went hand in hand with Harry PMSing. Adding the fact that Teddy was missing, well Percy wanted to avoid drawing Harry's fire. "Harry, it's been decided that we're making this the base of operations and we're doing an update in twenty-five minutes." He didn't step forward until he saw her wave her hand to disable the ward he knew was there.

Jake was appalled. This was the woman his brother was falling for? She looked eighteen or maybe nineteen and she didn't even bother to answer Percy Weasley. She made a movement with her hand then stepped back allowing them entrance before turning her attention back to the apple in her mouth.

Percy asked, "Upstairs or the porch?"

"Upstairsh" Harry said through the mouthful of apple..

Percy got a look at the look the American was wearing and wondered how long it would be before the man said something to draw Harry's fire. Harry ignored both of them and headed to the study to adjust the floo.

As she entered the room she said, "Annette, your husband is here. Ernie,"she said addressing the head in the floo, "give me a minute and I'll reset the floo ward, standard password. We're using the playroom upstairs."

"Got it, I'll pass it on." his head then disappeared.

Annette went out and hugged her husband. She wasn't sure what had put the disgruntled look on his face, but had a feeling she would find out sooner or later.

Harry was glad that the house wards were equipped with a a few preset passwords so she didn't have to think. She left the study trusting that Ernie and Susan wouldn't bring anyone she didn't trust with them. She sauntered from the study down to her potions lab where she snagged a Pepper Up from the storage. She had plans of playing with potions until she could improve or at least neutralize the taste of the ones she was prone to using. Frowning she downed the potion. She made two faces: one about the taste, and one for the effect which she hated.

She went back up to the mud room where she'd deposited the map she had tied the spell to. Then she went up the back stairs to the playroom. She entered the room and pulled her wand. She swiftly and silently transfigured the rooms furnishings into one worktable and what she figured they would need for the briefing, tacking the map to the wall with a sticking charm.

Percy came over. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll be doing better when Teddy is home."

"Did you get the spell up?"

"I think so. It will be a little more than an hour before we know." Harry hated waiting.

"So what time?"

"9:37a.m."

A dozen aurors came into the room. Over the next twenty minutes more arrived. Some posted things on the walls; others looked at lists in front of them.

Jake sat and stewed. He wanted to know where his brother was and he wanted to know now. He frowned when someone conjured a tea set and most everyone there helped themselves.

Ernie cast a tempus then said, "We're missing a couple people but let's get started. Caleb and Annie."

"Investigation at Hogwarts has shown spell residue of almost a dozen stunners in the hallway outside Harry's quarters. There is also some blood, it's faint but it's there. So we'll be able to lock the case in with at least a bit of DNA." Annie said.

"Roger? How goes narrowing the subject list?"

"Done. Through crosschecking and luggage searches the list has been narrowed to one Omar Rios. He was registered as a history teacher. But given how many "history" teachers were there that's not saying much. We questioned the house elves and they said he brought a large multi-compartment trunk that was heavily warded into the school and didn't let anyone especially the house elves touch it.

"We've co-ordinated with our muggle counterparts. Their security is doing security sweeps on outgoing luggage paying special attention to trunks. We've loaned them our wizard space sensor wands. The muggles have been told it's new tech but if they get a hit we'll get an alert in the office, and we have teams on stand-by . He is not going to be able to get out of the country without us noticing."

"That's assuming he's not a strong enough wizard to apparate to France or Ireland without notice." Jake said.

An older auror with gray hair gave Jake a patronizing smile. "You're not from around here, so I'll explain why the kidnapper can't or won't be getting away that way. For four centuries the European wizards have had apparition sensors that let us know when a wizard crosses borders that way. Said wizards have to go through wards designed to drain them. Too weak to apparate again, they are met by squads of hit wizards and arrested. Those on legitimate business have ministry issued by-passes, but even they are monitored. The by-passes are keyed to magic signatures and the process to get one is quite vigorous."

"Oh."

Harry spoke, "So, how goes the hunt for Mr. Rios?"

Jack Sloper, who had been on the Gryffindor quidditch team, spoke. "We've taken the photo from his initial pass through customs, duplicated it and we have started the search. We've also put the photo out through the muggle police as well, with instructions if he's seen that they are to fall back and observe while contacting us." He finished.

Jack's partner spoke next, "Bonnie and Taft are attempting to trace his movements since he arrived. We'll close the noose."

They heard footsteps running up the stairs. A middle aged auror burst through the door. She held a piece of parchment in her left hand. "Here's the copy. The original has gone to the lab for processing." She said looking at Annie. She took a deep breath. "We're tracing the owl that was used to deliver it. It was sent from one of the owl service companies in Diagon."

Harry's voice was tight, "Let me see it."

Omar Rios was getting more nervous. His instincts were telling him his plans had the potential to blow up in his face. His younger brother, Jamal, looked at him.

"Should we just kill them?"

"Only if we want to die. Our Lord would kill us for failure of our mission, and I suspect their health will be the only thing that saves us if things go further south."

Harry swallowed. She hated when she was right. She had known that they wanted her to somehow siphon off some of her vast power. If they harmed one hair on Teddy's or Ike's head she would make what she did to Voldemort look like a love tap. She cast tempus twenty more minutes before she knew if the trace worked. She semi ignored the briefing as the rest of the aurors discussed the ransom note.

Jake was fuming. Why were these people just sitting here talking about building the case against the kidnappers when they needed to find his little brother. "Why is everyone just sitting here? It's obvious these wizards are dark. Why aren't you-"

"Mr. Iverson, you were included on this briefing as a courtesy. These aurors are working this case in such a way that we can follow British laws and lock these bastards away and silence any criticism that might arise if any of them die in the capture process. It is standard policy of the current administration. A policy put in place so the abuses of previous ministries aren't repeated. As for what we're waiting for, we're waiting to see if Harry's spell work pays off." Ernie stated.

"What is this spell work supposed to do?'

"My son wears an amulet to hide the fact he's a metamorphamagus. The spells I did last night were designed to penetrate any protections around his location, bond to his amulet, and set of a locator beacon once again through whatever protections have been put around him."

"Impossible. Maybe a group working in concert could do that, but one person alone- not possible."

"You forget who you're talking to, Mr Iverson." Susan Bones said. "But Harry, perhaps we should discuss contingencies in case your spell doesn't work. Ministry Policy is-"

"I know Ministry policy and I also know it doesn't cover this situation. They're not trying to control the Ministry, they're wanting to control me. There's a difference. They want me to go to Hyde Park to meet someone at one, then go to where ever they've stashed Teddy and Ike. I'm assuming at the meet if they see signs of aurors, they'll kill them. If I refuse to hand over my wand, they'll kill them. In any case, they've shown that they are stupid. The odds of getting everyone back safe and sound are slim. Mr. Iverson, I am waiting patiently for the case to be built because if one hair on the head of my son is harmed there will not be a place anywhere on earth where they will be safe from my wrath, and frankly I have no desire to find my self in prison."

Jake felt a sudden chill. He suddenly realized his mistake. The quiet, sloppy, unassuming teenage woman he had judged her to be suddenly disappeared. He looked into killing curse green eyes that fairly sparked with a tightly controlled energy. He noticed he was not the only one in the room to notice the sudden chill in the room.

"As to the spell, it was _Cruor Ligo Infragills_ supplemented by various other spells to penetrate whatever they've put round him."

At the name of the spell half the people at the table shuddered.

Susan said, "Harry, you are aware of the nature of that spell..."

"Yes. I know. But as you know as a Defense Master I am authorized to do blood magic. I by-passed the usually dark aspect of the spell by using some blood that Teddy willing shed that I had locked in stasis in my lab."

Jake revised his opinion of the woman in front of him again. She clearly was very intelligent. To have gained a Mastery so young said a lot. But knowing that spell, it said not only was she smart, she had it in her to be ruthless as well. At home his Uncle Charlie headed the law enforcement in their confederacy. He was a defense master and he had gotten samples of blood from everyone in the family. Jake was the only one who knew why; Charlie had taken it for this exact spell. The spell would allow the tracker to follow the source from which the blood was taken literally anywhere in the world. It didn't matter for the ritual required to cast the spell whether the blood was willingly shed or not. And in centuries past it had been used by dark wizards to mark and hunt their fellow light wizards. To be fair the spell also allowed family members to trace one another in the event of kidnapping or war, but it wasn't a widely accepted spell because of the uses it had been put to in the past and the complexity of the casting. The ritual could be done by a group, though it made it weaker; for one person to do it required a great deal of power, determination, and focus.

Harry was again speaking. "These people aren't aware I have wandless magic. Even if they take my wand, I think with back up it's going to be quite possible for us to stop these idiots. Assuming my spells work, I want to get a hit wizard team in addition to the aurors already on board. I've already looked up surveillance spells so once we have a location we'll be able to know what we're dealing with."

Ernie and Susan frowned. As a rule the DMLE preferred not to have hit wizard squads involved in DMLE affairs. Hit wizards were trained as frontline defenders in matters of national defense, and doubled as what Harry called SWAT teams for the DMLE. Given what the kidnappers were after and Harry's importance, Harry's request wasn't unmerited. They looked at each other. After a moment Susan got up and said, "I'll go put in the request so they'll be ready."

At 9:37a.m. Harry sat focused completely on the map of the United Kingdom she had on the wall. It was a large map that she had actually reduced from an even larger one that if you enlarged it enough could show an area as small as four blocks. Jake stood close by, glaring. He had difficulty believing this slip of a witch was actually powerful enough to make a distance cast of the spell work. Annette sat next to her husband chewing on her thumbnail, hoping that Harry's cast had been successful and that they would have Ike back safe and sound in short order.

"YES!" Harry's cry of relief and victory rocked the room, as a small golden light appeared on the map above London.

Ike and Teddy had managed to get the multi-tool from its spot on Ike's leg, and had cut through the rope where it served to make it likely it would strangle Ike. Ike was working on the rope on his wrists when one of their captors came. The wizard looked very tense, like their plans were going badly.

He cast spells that would banish their body wastes for the next twenty four. Then pulled a sandwich from his pocket that he fed Teddy.

Teddy and Ike had discussed strategy and decided Teddy would play a whiny, scared kid and save his training for when his reacting in an unpredictable fashion would be to their advantage. Teddy was playing his part well for this person. After Teddy finished the sandwich the wizard left, leaving two bottles of water with the prisoners.

As he left he mocked Ike, "Enjoy your water, if you can get it. I really can't understand why your family was so weak as to not kill you. But I'm sure my Lord will have some use for you if only as bait."

Ike kept the pretense he was bound while the kidnapper was present. As such he still wore his rope necktie. Ike figured that Harry would insist on seeing Teddy at any hostage negotiation. He would use that as his cue to completely shed his bonds. In the meantime he would keep Teddy calm and focused.

As the trunk closed, Teddy scooted over, "Ike, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Think you can help me get a couple of sips of water? I've got a bit more to saw through before I'm free and I really want to wet my whistle."

"Do you think Mum will be here soon? Do you think we're still in the UK?"

"I think their plan has gone to hell in a hand-basket. He looked far too worried for me not to think that. I think we are still in Britain and I think your Mum is working as hard as she can to get us back. We just need to be ready to help her when the time is right."

Teddy scooted so his hands could grasp the water bottle and he used his teeth to open it. Then he held it to Ike's mouth.

Ike swallowed the water with relief. He hated cutting magical ropes. They were so hard to cut through. It was always as if the magic tried to repair them. If they had been normal ropes he'd be free by now, instead he was almost to the point of being able to free his hands. They were approaching the twenty five or twenty six hour point, which meant things would likely culminate soon. Ike sawed harder.

A/N:Cruor Ligo Infragills =Blood Tie Unbroken


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: We all know how these work. I do not own the characters and settings of Harry Potter, blah, blah, blah they're the property of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers films blah, blah, blah, I only own this stupid plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone...

Harry Potter Witch

by Silverfawkes

Chapter 6

The moment light appeared the aurors went into action they enlarged the map. A patronus was sent to the waiting hit wizard squad to bring them to Potter's Haven for the assault planning. Jake and Annette were slightly overwhelmed as half the wizards and witches present promptly left and the hit wizard squad that had been on standby started appearing for their briefing. Ernie gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze and said, "We'll get it narrowed down. Hopefully we'll have the building by one. Susan will brief the hit wizards. How about you try to get another nap in and clean yourself up. Those of us that know you, know to find your current attire intimidating, but I would prefer that you dress to intimidate the hell out of these guys."

"I'll try. Thanks, Ernie."

"Not necessary." He guided Harry from the briefing room towards the Master suite. Making sure to put silencing charms on the door knowing his friend needed to rest.

The dozen aurors who apparated to the ministry apparation point nearest the target area from Potter's Haven were very focused on finding the building where Teddy and the American were being held. If they could, they wanted to spare Harry the process of going through the meeting with the kidnappers, but with a one o'clock time frame that wasn't likely. Ernie would be co-ordinating with the local police, and once he got Harry settled he would also be helping. A third of the aurors had either been friends or students of Harry's and took a personal affront that anyone would do this to Harry after she had gone through so much already. So they were at the top of their game.

Noon arrived and although Harry had laid down for two hours she hadn't slept. She got up and went to her closet she pulled out the basilisk skin armor, she had had made the year after she taught at Hogwarts. She had called herself seven kinds of a fool when she'd gone down and collected the skin, but now she was glad she had. Basilisk skin was as strong as dragon hide and offered the same protection but was much lighter and had more flex. She pulled a silk camisole out to go under it. She then looked at her clothes critically. Ernie wanted her to look intimidating. Harry wanted to look anything but. She wanted these wizards to underestimate her. She needed to look like a mother, but still be wearing something she could move well in. Skirt then, but not the pencil one. The full one she had worn for the date with Ike to St. Pauls, and a button up blouse that would hide the close fitting armor. And maybe give her a place to hide her sword. Boots that she could hide a knife and her spare wand in. She wanted these bozos to think mum and purity it would give her a needed advantage She pulled out a delicate silver cross she had gotten in Milan. On an impulse she switched her spare wand with her primary. She carefully layered charms on her primary wand and her knife in her boot and her sword in it's magical scabbard. She would be armed to the teeth and she hoped they would believe the image and not physically search her. figuring they wouldn't want her to keep her wand. This way as long as they didn't thoroughly search her with both a physical and magical search at the same time she would have her best wand and her weapons available to her. She used makeup to make herself look more pale, more delicate, more vulnerable never mind as far as she was concerned each and every one of those bastards was completely expendable. They had taken her son dammit and a man without magic to force her to bond with a dark lord so he could steal her magic. Amoral sons-of-bitches like that deserved whatever the hell they got.

She looked at the clock and went down stairs. "Did you find them?"

"Yes, unfortunately there are enough of them and positioned such to make it tricky. As it stands we cant guarantee the safety of the hostages." Susan said.

"I go in then." Harry handed the hit wizard team leader, Jefferson, her necklace. " Did Sue show you the list of surveillance spells?" When she got an affirmative nod, Harry continued. "Get as much detail on the location as you can before I get there. Be ready to move on my signal. Tag this so you'll know when I slide it along the chain. Twice it's a signal to get ready, two more times means go. I'll get myself in position to shield myself and the hostages. Anyone else there is fair game. Got it?"

Jefferson did a spell tying the necklace to a message board on his wrist then handed it back to her. "Got it."

"Need I tell you, I don't care what kind of shape these guys are in later."

"No, Ma'am."

"Well, I'm off to my meeting. Annette, I'll do my best to see that Ike gets back in one living piece."

"We appreciate that, Harry." She said from where she and Jake stood in the corner of the briefing room.

Jake desperately wanted to follow but he had been ignored for the most part and it was clear to him he didn't know enough about the area to be anything but a liability.

Jefferson gave Harry a set of earrings. "Latest from the Unspeakables the left is a mike. We should be able to hear everything you do, the right is a receiver you'll be able to hear us but only you will. They are designed not to register on a magic sweep. Crafter said you would know the spells."

Harry nodded. She did indeed know the spells she had helped design them last year. Her primary wand, the knife and sword she was already wearing were covered in them. A thought occurred to her as she switched from her plain studs to the delicate looking crystal and wire chandelier earrings, "Percy could you go to Teddy's room I think he's got one of George's fake wands. I should take that, they'll expect me to carry a back up. That way we can show them what they expect without me loosing my primary."

He nodded and moments later he was back with it.

Harry left the house and apparated to the ministry point closest to the Hyde Park meeting point. She had to walk about a half mile. She arrived fifteen minutes early and acted the part of a panicky mum, pacing and acting as if she was blinking back worried tears. She could feel eyes on her and knew early though she had been, the kidnappers had been even earlier.

Jamal Rios and two of the others had all run sweeps they couldn't find any recognizable surveillance. She had come alone as ordered. 'Ms. Potter, If you want to see your son again, hand me your wand by the tip."

"Please don't hurt my son. I'll do what you want just don't hurt my son." Harry pulled her wand from her sleeve and extended her secondary wand.

"Cooperate and we won't have to. Put your hands on the bench, we're going to frisk you."

Harry didn't fuss; she cooperated, having expected this. They found the fake wand at her waist and stopped searching. One of them slapped her hard across the cheek. She allowed her eyes the natural reaction of tears, but compared to Dudley's old hits, it was nothing.

"Stupid puta, did you think we would not search you!" The wizard who found the fake wand snapped it.

They shoved her towards the edge of the park,where they apparently had a rental car. They drove around London apparently watching to see if they had a tail for most of an hour. Harry was actually frightened by this. The person driving had apparently used spells get the lease of a car. It was obvious he didn't drive often or well. When they finally entered the neighbor hood where she knew her son was she fought against the urge to sigh in relief, because this wasn't over yet.

Harry could hear the chatter of the hit wizard team and the aurors in her ear.

"They're here." she recognized Annie's voice.

"Confirmed." came Ernie's.

"Alpha team in position on the roof."

"Beta in position to follow up the stairs."

"Charlie. We' re ready to come through the walls."

"We've got them boxed in and are ready for your signals, Harry." Came Jefferson's voice.

Harry knowing she was observed gave an affirmative nod.

"Confirmed," came over the earpiece in Susan's voice.

They guided Harry into an office space in a mostly unused building. There was a reception desk a row of cubicles, what looked like a private office and a large conferencing area. Harry spoke to give the layout to the listening teams. 'Nice office space, no receptionist, does each terrorist have their own cubicle down the left side or do you have to share, does you leader have his own private office at the back?"

"Shut up, bitch!"

"Where is my son? You demanded I come here! I'm here! I want my son, now where is he?"

"When I have an Unbreakable Vow from you that you will come to the United States and marry my Lord. Then I will show you your son."

"You think me a fool." Harry needed this to go differently so she did something she had never done before that she knew was possible. She dropped the walls she kept around her magical aura and projected it and her anger for she was worth. "I have co-operated as far as I will until I see my son!"

Harry felt a surge of relief when it worked. The kidnappers mostly got terrified looks. Omar Rios looked at his brother and nodded. Jamal left where he was standing near Harry and headed to the office to get Teddy. Harry gave the ready signal and edged around to where Teddy would appear.

Teddy had moved away from Ike before the kidnapper entered the trunk. He kept up what he dubbed his crybaby act as the kidnapper levitated him out of the trunk and grabbed him. He knew he'd see his mum in a couple minutes. He made a point of distracting the guard so the man would forget to lock the trunk. He smirked a little as they moved away from the trunk.

Jamal kept one hand on this brat's collar, that witch scared him enough that he wanted to keep this brat between her and himself.

Harry dropped to one knee when she caught sight of Teddy, and grasped her wand.

Omar snarled, "You can see your son. Give me your oath!"

Harry gave the signal, then she cast a shield with her wand at Teddy. While drawing her rapier with her free hand. "I don't think so arsewipe."

The hit wizard squad burst through the doors, the wall and the outer window and dropped most the kidnappers with stunners. Jamal grabbed Teddy scooping him up and using him a a personal shield.

Teddy wriggled like an eel trying to get free, but the man's arm around his diaphragm quickly subdued him because he couldn't get enough air. He could feel a wand at his throat. He looked at Harry.

As soon as the foreign wizard grabbed Teddy, Harry focused on him. She scarcely noticed as the leader of the kidnappers moved to attack her. She instinctively moved her rapier to intercept her attacker and didn't really notice as she ran him through. All her attention on the wizard holding Teddy, and on the yellow spell he held at the tip of his wand that was touching Teddy's throat.

Ike moved the second the trunk lid began to close. His tool was set for knife use and he held it in his teeth so he could use both hands to climb. He nearly swore as he failed to get to the top of the ladder before the lid fell completely shut. Teddy was supposed to prevent the kidnappers from locking it, hopefully that had gone as planned. Ike smiled as he pushed up on the lid. He crept out hoping to maintain the element of surprise. He abruptly changed tactics when he could tell from the sound of things the party had already started. He headed to the door of the room. Only to be met with the back of a man. Over the man's shoulder he could see Harry's white face and the fact that the leader of these cretins had been run through with a rapier. He could see that the person in front of him had hold of Teddy, so Ike did what he thought best. He grabbed the man's wand arm and pulled it away from Teddy while sinking his knife in the man's side to the hilt. He was horrified when the spell he had pulled away from Teddy instead hit Harry.

Harry saw the spell coming and was glad she had donned her armor. Because there wasn't even time to step to the side.

Seconds later she heard, a chorus of clears from the hit wizard squad, as she felt the most wonderful sensation in the world: her son's arms wrapping around her. She looked into Ike's eyes; she owed him for this. The spell that had threatened Teddy was a dark one. With the wand touching Teddy as it had been, it would have killed her son. Harry probably would need a potion herself despite her armor. She smiled.

Ike saw the smile on Harry's face and joined her and Teddy in a three way hug.

Aurors crowded into the room to deal with the criminals. Harry ignored them she said, "Let's go home."

"Shouldn't you get checked over by a Healer?" Ike asked.

"We'll call Poppy from Potter's Haven. She can deal with most anything."

"Sounds good. Sorry you had to work so hard. I didn't mean to miss our date."

'You're forgiven. I'm just glad you're alright." She said as she laid a hand on his whiskered cheek. Harry lead them the two floors up to the roof pulled them close and apparated them home. Jewel might harass her for ignoring ministry apparition points but she figured it would more likely go unremarked amongst all the other magic that had been worked here today.

Teddy headed for the house the moment they landed.

Ike looked at the large Tudor style house. "Nice."

"We call it home." Harry said.

They were met at the door by Percy, Annette and Jake. Percy took one good look at Harry and promptly excused himself, "I'll call Madame Pomfrey."

Annette and Jake spent the next half an hour assuring themselves of Ike's well-being.

When Poppy Pomfrey arrived she checked Teddy, then Harry then Ike. She cleaned and healed the couple of cuts Harry had gotten from flying glass and splinters and said she would send a potion for Harry. She recommended that Ike rest and drink plenty of fluids, and warned Harry that Teddy was likely to have bad dreams for a while. That if they got bad Harry should contact her for dreamless sleep.

Harry's lack of sleep was catching up with her. Yawning Harry announced, "I think I'm going to head to bed, catch up on my sleep."

"Mum, can I join you?" Teddy asked.

It had been many years since Teddy had slept in Harry's bed to stave off bad dreams but she wouldn't deny her son the comfort of that right now. "Sure." Harry felt like she was being very forward, but Teddy wasn't the only one who felt the need for comfort. She looked at Ike, "Would you like to join us?"

Ike was a little surprised at the invitation, but he doubted he would ever get a better one. "I would."

An hour later after they had notified the family in the States, Jake and Annette checked on them. Ike opened an eye when he heard the door open, but Harry and Teddy slept on. They went back out.

"I think Uncle Marius is going to have to find a new muggle liaison officer for the Confederacy." Jake said.

"Looks that way. It also looks like your mom will need to find a new history teacher." Annette agreed.

"I still don't get it. Why would a witch as obviously powerful as her settle for someone like Ike?"

"I think Harry isn't drawn to power at all. She has more than enough and understands the drawbacks to having it. According to her friends she didn't have a great child hood and she's drawn to what her childhood lacked, love. You have to admit that if there was one thing that Ike has always had an abundance of it was love to give. I don't think Harry is settling at all. I think Ike is offering her exactly what she wants most."

"Guess so." Jake leaned forward and drew his pregnant wife into his arms. Sometimes all you need is love.

_**Fini**_

A/N: There we go. I have ideas for a sequel but I probably won't post that one until I've gotten it written. Sorry for the long delay, between computer problems, RL and muse going in other directions it took me awhile.


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